Platti’s Flute Sonatas played by Alexa Raine-Wright coming May 10

Montreal, April 23rd, 2019. Leaf Music is proud to announce that the album Platti Flute Sonatas Op. 3, dedicated to the works composed by the Italian Composer Giovanni Benedetto Platti, will be available in stores as of May 10th. These rare pieces are performed by Alexa Raine-Wright (baroque flute), accompanied by Camille Paquette-Roy (baroque cello), Sylvain Bergeron (archlute and baroque guitar) and Rona Nadler (harpsichord).

“Italian composer Giovanni Benedetto Platti (1697–1763) spent his early years in Venice under the tutelage of Francesco Gasparini, as well as Ospedale della Pietà composer Antonio Vivaldi (though evidence of their encounter is scant). In 1722, he moved to Würzburg, Germany where he spent the rest of his life working as a composer, instrumentalist, and tenor. In a commemorative note written to Padre Martini in 1764, Florentine musician Domenico Palafuti remembered Platti as “the Paduan master…who composed celebrated sonatas for the hammer cembalo [most likely Cristofori’s famous fortepiano] that he got to know in Siena, as well as church music and chamber music.” Indeed, it was for his keyboard music that Platti first came to widespread attention, upon the publication of his VI. Sonates pour le clavessin sur le goût italien in 1742. The historical emphasis placed on these pieces, however, has cast a shadow over the composer’s other works, many of which are deserving of our attention. In particular, his Sei sonate a flauto traversiere solo con violoncello overo cembalo, Op. 3, feature an impressive palette of affects. As Platti’s flute sonatas make clear, the composer had one foot planted firmly in the Baroque, and the other foot pointed toward the Classical style. One can only hope that time is the only hurdle that stands between these important works and the wider audience of performers, scholars, and listeners they deserve…” Andrew Schartmann.

Sonata No. 1 in D major

[1] I. Adagio

[2] II. Allegro

[3] III. Andantino: Cantabile

[4] IV. Tempo di Minuet

Sonata No. 2 in G major

[5] I. Grave

[6] II. Allegro

[7] III. Largo

[8] IV. Allegro molto

Sonata No. 3 in E minor

[9] I. Allegro mà non molto

[10] II. Larghetto

[11] III. Minuet – Trio alternat: Amoroso

[12] IV. Giga

Sonata No. 4 in A major

[13] I. Grave e cantabile

[14] II. Allegro

[15] III. Larghetto

[16] IV. Allegro moderato

Sonata No. 5 in C major

[17] I. Pastorale: Allegro

[18] II. Non tanto adagio

[19] III. Allegro assai: Alla breve

Sonata No. 6 in G major

[20] I. Siciliana: Adagio

[21] II. Allegro

[22] III. Non tanto adagio mà cantabile

[23] IV. Arietta con Variazioni: Non tanto allegro

Alexa Raine-Wright will launch this album in collaboration with Leaf Music, in Montreal on le Thursday, May 2nd at 5:30 PM, salle Joseph-Rouleau (Jeunesses Musicales Canada), 305, avenue du Mont-Royal Est, Montreal.

Producer and Recording Engineer: Jeremy VanSlyke

Assistant Recording Engineer: Ben B. Creelman

Editing: Jeremy VanSlyke, Ben B. Creelman

Église Saint-Augustin, Mirabel (Québec), Canada – May 2018

Special thanks: Jonathan Addleman, Hank Knox, Claire Guimond

www.leaf-music.ca

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Alexa Raine-Wright: http://www.alexarainewright.com/

Information and interviews: IXION Communications, 514 495-8176, henry.welsh@ixioncommunications.com

This project is funded in part by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.