DXL1117
Carlo Monza
Harpsichord Music

Terence Charlston, Harpsichord

Playing time 67 mins.

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Specialist performer and one of Britain's leading early keyboard players, Terence Charlston explores the works of Italian composer, Carlo Ignazio Monza (1696 – 1739)

Apart from his surviving keyboard pieces, Monza was an important composer of vocal music for the stage and church and his operas and oratorios were performed all over Italy from 1714 to 1736.

His Pièces Modernes Pour le Clavecin presents an intriguing entente between French and Italian style. They are moderne in many ways with stylistic similarities to those of François Couperin, Handel, Rameau and Mattheson but Monza’s pieces are also quite unique. By choosing certain dance types and ornament signs, grouping his pieces into suites and including character pieces and doubles alongside conventional dances, Monza is clearly following French example. 

By way of contrast, the disc concludes with two sonatas by Monari and a toccata in imitation of the cuckoo by Pasquini. Both represent a style of keyboard playing influential in Italy at the time of Monza’s youth but already on the wane by the time his suites were published.

Track List

Suite in E major
1) Prelude
2) Courante
3) Sarabande
4) Air

Suite in C minor
5) Prelude
6) Allemande and Double
7) Gavotte
8) Gigue
9) Menuet

Suite in D major
10) Prelude
11) Allemande
12) Le Reveille-matin
13) Gavotte and 5 Doubles

Suite in C major
14) Prelude
15) Allemande
16) Gigue
17) Air and 3 Doubles

Prelude & Fugue in F minor
18) Prelude
19) Fugue

20) Prelude in C minor (alternative version)

Prelude and Fugue (Monari)
21) Prelude
22) Fugue