VENEZIANO, G.: Santissima Trinita (La) [Oratorio] (I Turchini, Florio)

With the release of the sacred oratorio La Santissima Trinità by Gaetano Veneziano, dating from 1693, Antonio Florio and I Turchini present a further significant rediscovery in their exploration of Neapolitan music from the Baroque.

Gaetano Veneziano has been known for his liturgical music but until now it has been almost impossible to appreciate any of the larger-scale compositions that this favourite pupil of Francesco Provenzale was known to have written. Thanks to the impeccable research work of Dinko Fabris (who provides a booklet essay for the recording) and Antonio Florio, no less than four of these oratorios have been identified, having travelled in the intervening centuries from Veneziano’s private library to the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels.

Like his near contemporary Alessandro Scarlatti, Veneziano was frequently called upon to produce music for religious music drama and La Santissima Trinità (Veneziano termed it a one-act spiritual cantata in the form of an oratorio) is scored for five soloists. For this new Glossa recording – made in the Chiesa dei Servi di Maria in Sorrento – Leslie Visco, Cristina Grifone, Filippo Mineccia, Rosario Totaro and Giuseppe Naviglio splendidly assume three allegorical roles defending the rights of the Vergine in the face of the demon, Peccato. The direction of Antonio Florio – at the head of the instrumentalists of I Turchini – once again demonstrates his uncommon understanding of the Baroque world, and in particular that of Naples.