Ariosti: 6 Lessons for Viola d’Amore and Continuo

Ariostis Six Lessons for Viola d’Amore, published in London in 1724 and dedicated to King George, were as the name implies composed expressly to teach violinists to play the viola d’amore. They are written in scordatura with a system of movable keys to indicate the different positions and fingerings of the left hand up to the fourth position. Composer: Attilio Ariosti Artists: Mauro Righini (viola d’amore), Elena Bertuzzi (soprano), Ugo Nastrucci (theorbo), Danilo Costantini (organ & Harpsichord) 🎵 Online purchase or streaming (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer): 💎More information: 🎬🎮 Our music is available for sync licensing in videos, films, tv-shows, games, advertising and more. For more information and to request a license go to: The viola d’amore has six or seven strings and (almost always) the same number of resonance strings placed under the bridge, which strongly characterize its timbre. Tunings were variable and, although from the second half of the 18th century the tuning in D became standard, it is not always straightforward to know which to use. For this reason, viola d’amore parts are written in scordatura, a sort of tablature in which the written note indicates the finger position according to standard tuning, but not the sounding pitch on a ‘detuned’. string. This fascinating and somewhat mysterious instrument is played by both violinists and violists; for violists in particular it offers access to a new, though unfortunately not very vast, repertoire, with works by Biber, Bach, Ariosti and Vivaldi, and more recently Hindemith, Martin, Ghedini and many others. Attilio Malachia Ariosti (1666-1730) was born in Bologna, Italy. Violinist, organist, composer and librettist. He took vows at the order of the Serviti as Frate Ottavio in 1688 and was appointed organist in the church of S. Maria dei Servi in Bologna in 1693. He travelled to Mantua and Venice, the most enlightened musical and artistic centers of northern Italy and then moved to Berlin and lately to Vienna in 1703. Expelled from the Papal State for moral reasons, in 1716 he lived in London where, together with Bononcini and Handel, he became a permanent composer of the Royal Academy. At the King’s Theater he played with the viola d’amore in the intervals between the acts, “... a new symphony composed by the famous Mr. Attilio Ariosti in which he will play a new instrument called viola d’amore“. The Six Lessons for Viola d’Amore, published in London in 1724 and dedicated to King George, are harmonically and melodically very appealing and were composed expressly to teach violinists to play the viola d’amore. The viola d’amore has six or seven strings and the same number of resonance strings placed under the bridge, that strongly characterize its timbre. Beautifully performed by Mauro Righini (viola d’amore), Ugo Nastrucci (theorbo), Danilo Costantini (organ & harpsichord) and Elena Bertuzzi (soprano), who sings in a Cantata for solo voice, viola d’amore and b.c. Tracklist: Lesson I in E-Flat Major: 00:00:00 I. Allegro 00:03:31 II. Largo 00:06:29 III. Andante Lesson II in A Major: 00:08:05 I. Cantabile 00:09:31 II. Vivace 00:11:54 III. Adagio 00:15:07 IV. Minuet Lesson III in E Minor: 00:17:16 I. Adagio 00:19:33 II. Alemanda 00:22:13 III. Adagio 00:26:10 IV. Giga Lesson IV in F Major: 00:29:16 I. Adagio 00:31:59 II. Andante 00:34:22 III. Corente 00:36:12 IV. Giga Lesson V in E Minor: 00:38:28 I. Vivace 00:40:48 II. Largo 00:43:12 III. Giga Lesson VI in D Major: 00:45:56 I. A tempo giusto 00:47:12 II. Corrente 00:48:54 III. Giga 00:50:09 IV. Rondeaux 00:52:57 Pur alfin gentil viola Cantata for solo Voice and Viola d’amore: I. Pur alfin gentil viola aria 01:00:24 Pur alfin gentil viola Cantata for solo Voice and Viola d’amore: II. Non fu saggio il consiglio recitativo 01:01:47 Pur alfin gentil viola Cantata for solo Voice and Viola d’amore: III. Beltà che col rigor aria 👉 Social media links: Instagram: Facebook: TikTok: Spotify: Thank you for watching this video by Brilliant Classics, we hope you enjoyed it! Don’t forget to share it and subscribe to our YouTube channel. And visit our channel for other pieces of some of the greatest composers. We upload daily with complete albums and compilations with the best classical music. #Ariosti #Viola #Classical #Music #BrilliantClassics