Per il Salterio La Gioia Armonica

• Angelo Conti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major:
• 1Conti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: I. Vivace assai03:35
• 2Conti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: II. Grazioso (I)02:58
• 3Conti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: III. Minuetto Variazione04:27
• Carlo Monza (1735 - 1801): Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in C Major:
• 4Monza: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in C Major: I. Allegro03:08
• 5Monza: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in C Major: II. Largo05:22
• 6Monza: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in C Major: III. Minuetto00:50
• Anonymous:
• 7Anonymous: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: I. Allegro (I)03:22
• 8Anonymous: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: II. Cantabile02:40
• 9Anonymous: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: III. Allegro02:18
• Carlo Monza:
• 10Monza: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: I. [Andante]04:50
• 11Monza: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: II. Presto02:39
• Baldassare Galuppi (1706 - 1785): Sonata for Harpsichord in D Major:
• 12Galuppi: Sonata for Harpsichord in D Major: I. Adagio03:14
• 13Galuppi: Sonata for Harpsichord in D Major: II. Allegro02:43
• 14Galuppi: Sonata for Harpsichord in D Major: III. Adagio06:43
• 15Galuppi: Sonata for Harpsichord in D Major: IV. Giga Allegro02:51
• Pietro Beretti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major:
• 16Beretti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: I. Allegro (II)04:40
• 17Beretti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: II. Andante04:25
• 18Beretti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: III. Allegro02:30
• Carlo Monza: Sonata Organ in G Major:
• 19Monza: Sonata Organ in G Major: Flautino03:32
• Angelo Conti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major:
• 20Conti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: I. Allegro (III)03:44
• 21Conti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: II. Grazioso (II)05:34
• 22Conti: Sonata for Salterio and Continuo in G Major: III. Allegrissimo02:24
• Total Runtime01:18:29

Info for Per il Salterio

Today there are different types of the instrument known in German-speaking countries as the Hackbrett, mainly associated with local traditional music, such as the cimbalom in Eastern Europe, the santūr in Persia, etc. The history of European music has also known moments when this type of instrument was appreciated in art music, thanks especially to its sonority, which predestined it for the so-called ‘sensitive’ (empfindsam) style. This recording is devoted to the salterio, the Italian form of the instrument, for which a considerable number of works were composed in the eighteenth century. Margit Übellacker and Jürgen Banholzer present a selection of recordings of sonatas for salterio and basso continuo. These reflect the galant style of north Italy in the second half of the eighteenth century.

La Gioia Armonica

Margit Übellacker, salterio
Jürgen Banholzer,organ, direction

La Gioia Armonica
The ensemble LA GIOIA ARMONICA was founded by the Austrian dulcimer player Margit Übellacker and the German organist and singer Jürgen Banholzer. A main focus of the ensemble’s work is the exploration of the baroque repertoire for the dulcimer, and in particular for the italian salterio and for the legendary pantaleon. The size of the ensemble ranges from the dulcimer-organ duo to larger formations, in which musicians specialising in early music performance practice join forces to produce lively and fresh performances of unknown or rarely performed works of the 17th and 18th centuries.

In April 2017 the third CD of the ensemble was released by cpo: Conserva me Domine with countertenor Terry Wey, whom the Süddeutsche Zeitung lately called a discovery long overdue and who was rated one of the best of his Fach by Fono Forum. It features two psalms by Benedetto Marcello as well as vocal and instrumental works with obligato salterio by Giambattista Martini, Antonio Sacchini and Melchiorre Chiesa. Margit Übellacker plays these on a copy of an eighteenth century Italian salterio. Critics called this CD „a musically satisfying disc which opens new horizons" (MusicWeb International), „a very fine disc for curious ears“ (www.clicmusique.com) which „demonstrates that there is still much interesting music to discover“ (American Record Guide).

The ensemble’s first CD (Antonio Caldara: Cantate, Sonate ed Arie, released by RAMÉE) was greeted enthusiastically by the press and received various prizes (Pizzicato Supersonic Award, Goldberg: 5 Ètoiles, Prelude Classical Award 2006 for the best debut CD). LA GIOIA ARMONICA has since been invited to give concerts in Germany and abroad, e.g. at Ton Koopman's Festival Itinéraire Baroque, at the Händelfestspiele in Halle, the Bachfestival Dordrecht, the Festival de Musique Ancienne in Leytron, the Early Music Festival in Timisoara, Bagnacavallo Classica, the Mitteldeutsche Heinrich-Schütz-Tage, the Organfestival Fugato in Bad Homburg, OrgelPlus in Bottrop as well as for concert series of the Museum of Musical Instruments in Berlin and the Akademie der Wissenschaften in Mainz.

The ensemble's second CD (Johann Georg Reutter: Portus Felicitatis, released by RAMÉE in cooperation with Radio Bremen) appeared in 2013 and features motets and arias for the pantaleon by one of the most successful composers of music for the church and for the opera at the Viennese court around 1750. "The album which at last rehabilitates Reutter with doubled rarities has a title that is brilliantly chosen: Portus Felicitatis is really a haven of bliss for all lovers of classical music off the beaten track of mainstream." (Dirk Kruse, Bayrischer Rundfunk) George Pratt called the CD "wonderfully revelatory" (BBC Music Magazine).

Booklet for Per il Salterio