CIRRI: Six Sonatas, Op. II – Sezione Aurea Passacaille

If, as a composer, you were not only allowed to enjoy the esteem of the famous music theorist and Mozart teacher Padre Giovanni Battista Martini, but you were also represented by a portrait in his picture gallery of musicians, then you can not have been some completely insignificant little composer. Nonetheless, the composer, organist and priest Ignazio Cirri (1711-1787), born in Forli, is today perhaps only known by music lovers. The reason is relatively simple: Hardly any of his works are available in modern editions. Because of their stylistic pioneering role in Viennese classical music, the sonatas op. 2, first performed here by Sezione Aurea, make curious about the other works by the composer. Sezione aurea is Italian for “Golden Mean,” which is defined as “the part of a line segment which represents the mean proportion between the entire segment and the remaining part.” The ensemble was created in 2013 following Luca Giardini’s idea of reuniting some of the finest European baroque musicians active on the concert platform and on album. The aim of the group is to study and play the instrumental and vocal Italian repertoire of the 17th and 18th century. Since many of the pieces performed are still virtually unknown today, the ensemble relies on a musicological team who assist them at the start of each project.

Sonata in F Major

1. Allegro
2. Andante cantabile
3. Allegro

Sonata in G Major
1. Allegro moderato
2. Andantino
3. Menuett – Menuett

Sonata in C Major
1. Allegretto
2. Andante
3. Allegretto vivace

Sonata in D Major
1. Allegro spiritoso
2. Andante largo
3. Presto

Sonata in A Major
1. Allegro spiritoso
2. Andantino
3. Rondo: Allegro

Sonata in B-Flat Major
1. Allegro moderato
2. Rondo: Allegretto
3. Fugato: Non tanto allegro