Alessandro Piccinini, a contemporary of Monteverdi and Frescobaldi,
hailed from a Bolognese family of lutenists that made its mark on
Italian musical life for over one and a half centuries. At the court of
Ferrara, Alessandro became familiar with the development of a new kind
of lute that would later be designated as the archiliuto. This
instrument is notable for its second extended neck to accommodate drone
strings and was enthusiastically taken up by contemporaries such as
Carlo Gesualdo.
After a longer sojourn in Rome, Alessandro Piccinini returned in 1611
to Bologna, where he published his lute works in 1623 after a lengthy
preparation. The preface to this (first) volume contains a fundamental
introduction to playing the lute and chitarrone; then as now, it was a
decisive source for lute technique. After Piccinini' death, his son
Leonardo Maria published a second volume with lute pieces by his father
in 1639. Stylistically, Piccinini's lute works are influenced by the
emergent Italian instrumental music, but French and Spanish influences
can also be clearly heard.
On the present recording, Mónica Pustilnik introduces a selection
from both of Piccinini's lute books. The lutenist, from Buenos Aires, is
much in demand as a soloist and chamber musician; alongside these
activities, she can also be regularly heard in outstanding ensembles for
historical performance practice such as Le Concert d’Astrée, Les
Musiciens du Louvre and Les Talens Lyriques.
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