In 1622, a man who thought of himself as a military specialist and soldier, published a book of music for an instrument that he played as a hobby. Apparently Bellerofonte Castaldi loved to while the evening away playing his tiorba with his mates, noodling away on the latest popular songs. Born into a notable family near Modena, Castaldi's publication, engraved entirely by his own hand, gives us a precious insight into the private world of the 17th Century courtier, where the arts were a type of currency that garnered one favour. And where being a professional was considerably lower in rank.
Joined by colleague Meriel Owen on the baroque triple harp, Simon Martyn-Ellis presents a few select duets and solos from Bellerofonte Castaldi's Capricci a Due Stromenti, along with some works from Castaldi's Roman colleague Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger. There's no mistaking the very unseriousness of the music, created over years surrounded by tall stories, excellent food and wine, and good friends.
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