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| Il Complesso Barocco | |
|---|---|
| Name | Il Complesso Barocco |
| Origin | Venice, Italy |
| Genre | Baroque music |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Label | Virgin Classics, Naïve (record label), Accent (record label) |
| Current members | Alan Curtis (founder) — ensemble |
Il Complesso Barocco is an Italian early music ensemble founded to perform and record Baroque music repertoire using historically informed practices. The group became noted for its interpretations of works by composers associated with Venice, Naples, Rome, and the broader Italian Baroque sphere, and for collaborations with leading soloists and vocal ensembles from across Europe and the United States. Its activity spans live performance, studio recording, and festival appearances at venues such as Teatro La Fenice, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, and the BBC Proms.
The ensemble was established in the context of the late-20th-century revival of interest in historically informed performance alongside other pioneering groups like Il Giardino Armonico, Concerto Italiano, and The English Concert. Its formation intersected with renewed scholarly attention to manuscripts in archives such as the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana and the Archivio di Stato di Venezia, and with editorial projects associated with institutions like the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. The group developed during a period marked by festivals such as Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival expanding programs, recordings on labels including Deutsche Grammophon and Erato (record label) commissioning period ensembles, and collaborations with conservatories such as the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia.
Il Complesso Barocco focuses on repertoire from the 17th and 18th centuries, specializing in composers linked to Venice, Naples, and Rome such as Antonio Vivaldi, Domenico Scarlatti, Francesco Cavalli, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Niccolò Jommelli. Their performances emphasize period instruments like the Baroque violin, violoncello da spalla, theorbo, and harpsichord, and draw on performance practice research by scholars including Howard Brown (musicologist), John Eliot Gardiner, Philippe Herreweghe, and Trevor Pinnock. The ensemble's repertoire also includes lesser-known works by composers associated with the Neapolitan school, including Francesco Durante, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, and Gennaro Manna, and occasionally extends to contemporaries such as Georg Friedrich Händel and Jean-Philippe Rameau.
The ensemble was closely associated with Italian musicologist and conductor Alan Curtis (musician), who served as its artistic director and whose scholarship on Baroque opera and oratorio informed programming and editions. Key personnel have included principal players trained in institutions such as the Conservatoire de Paris, Royal Academy of Music, and Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, and collaborators among soloists and conductors like Marilyn Horne, Dame Emma Kirkby, Christina Pluhar, Roberta Invernizzi, and Philippe Jaroussky. Administrative and artistic partnerships have involved organizations such as Fondazione Cini, Festival della Valle d'Itria, and broadcasters including RAI (broadcaster) and the BBC.
Il Complesso Barocco's discography includes recordings for labels associated with the early music revival, and projects featuring revivals of obscure operas and sacred works discovered in archives like the Archivio Storico Diocesano and the Vatican Library. Notable performances include staged operas at Teatro di San Carlo, concert series at Suntory Hall, and appearances at international festivals such as Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Salzburg Festival, and the Baroque Festival of Utrecht. Collaborations produced recordings of cantatas, oratorios, and concerti featuring soloists from La Scala, Opéra National de Paris, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Critics in publications such as Gramophone (magazine), The New York Times, The Guardian (London), Le Monde, and Die Zeit have praised the ensemble for its blend of scholarly rigor and expressive vitality, comparing its approach to that of Les Arts Florissants and Academy of Ancient Music. Musicologists have cited its editions and performances in work on editorial practice and performance reconstruction, often referring to research networks at institutions like the Royal College of Music, University of Oxford, and Harvard University. Il Complesso Barocco influenced subsequent regional ensembles and conservatory curricula focused on the Italian Baroque, and stimulated renewed interest in underperformed composers housed in archives such as the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze.
The ensemble's recordings and performances received attention from awarding bodies and competitions such as the Gramophone Classical Music Awards, the Diapason d'Or, and the Echo Klassik awards, and were featured in curated lists by organizations including UNESCO cultural programs and the European Festivals Association. Individual members and collaborating soloists associated with the group have been recipients of honors from institutions like the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and national orders in Italy and other European states.
Category:Early music ensembles Category:Italian musical groups