Crescentini: Cantatas and Ariettas for Solo Voice and Piano

The musician Girolamo Crescentini was a household name in all the major theaters in Italy and abroad, especially toward the end of the 18th century. He began his career as a castrato singer, but soon became singing teacher to the imperial family and court composer in Paris. Crescentini's cantatas and arias on this CD are based on texts by Pietro Metastasio and generally follow a very classical form. They reveal musical elements ranging from the late Classical period to the early Romantic era.