Ian Bostridge (tenor), Cappella Neapolitana, Antonio Florio

Sartorio: Orfeo: Sinfonia
Cavalli: Io resto solo? ... Misero, così va (from Eliogabalo)
Stradella: Soffria, sperena (from Il Corispero)
Cesti: Berenice (from Il Tito)
Cesti: L’Argia: Sinfonia
Caresana: Tien ferma Fortuna (from Le Avventure di una fede)
Provenzale: Deh rendetemi ombre care (from La Stellidaira)
Provenzale: Il schiavo di sua moglie: Sinfonia
Provenzale: Che speri o mio core (from Il Schiavo di sua moglie)
Legrenzi: Il Totila: Sinfonia
Vinci, Leonardo: Siroe, Act 1. Se il mio paterno amore & Gelido in ogni vena
Fago: Il Faraone sommerso: Sinfonia
Fago: Il faraone sommerso, Act 1: "Nuove straggi e spaventi”
Vivaldi: Gelido in ogni vena (from Il Farnace, RV711)
anon.: Anonimo: Lu cardillo

With the 10 arias on Tormento d’amore, Ian Bostridge demonstrates the important place that the tenor voice held in Italian opera from the mid-17th to the mid-18th century – often thought of as the era of the castrato. At this time, there were two main centres of opera in Italy: Venice, where such composers as Cavalli, Vivaldi, Cesti, Stradella, Sartorio and Legrenzi were active, and Naples, home to Provenzale, Caresana, Vinci and Fago. In addition to arias – two of them in world premiere recordings – the album offers five instrumental sinfonie and a traditional Neapolitan song, ‘Lu cardillo’, or ‘The Goldfinch’, a songbird closely associated with Naples. Bostridge is partnered by conductor Antonio Florio and his ensemble Cappella Neapolitana.