Ensemble Arte Musica, Francesco Cera & Letizia Calandra - Erotica Antiqua: Neapolitan Villanellas (2017)

The Villanella is closely related to the city of Naples, as Thomas Wythorne already wrote in 1572: “groups of musicians vied with another sing rustic songs..they wandered the streets, improvising verses and songs in honour of the beautiful women they saw at their windows, and created a sweet harmony that delighted all who heard it”.

The Villanellas are far removed from the courtly poetry of the time, which sings of yearnings for the unattainable female beloved, speaking of sighs and tears. The Villanella however speak of water as the metaphor of love: dishes break, jugs crack and overflow with eroticism.

This new recording features a generous selection of Villanellas by lesser known composers as Giovanni Dell’Arpa and Filippo Azaiolo, but also by renaissance master Orlando di Lasso, who apparently had a soft spot for this genre.