Giovanni Geronimo Kapsberger’s birth place and date of birth remain a mystery.

However, we know that on his arrival in Rome in 1605, he, the son of a German gentleman, quickly established his reputation as a Theorbo virtuoso.

He remained successful throughout his career and worked all his life for powerful Roman families. Doing so, he met some of the best musicians and poets of his time.

Despite Athanasius Kircher’s descprition of Kapsberger as a “superb g...

From Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762), Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), Georg Friedrich Haendel (1685-1759), Charles Avison (1709-1770)

With this program, The Flying Squad of the Queen takes off for the United Kingdom to meet with Francesco Geminiani. In the early XVIIIth century, England was discovering  Italian music and its treasures and every theater in the country were hosting operas.

Many Italian musicians came to benefit from this artistic Eldorado.

Amon...

Lessons from the darkness and Neapolitan instrumental music

Caresana. Scarlatti, Veneziano / album tracks

“Notturno” is the first record of the Flying Squad of the Queen.

This is the result of several years of work focusing on Italian music from the late XVII century. From research and collection of musical scores to their interpretation, this record is the achievement of a dedicated team.

The Flying Squad of the Queen chose to record this particular repert...

This progam is articulated around two oratorios with the same name: Maddaleni ai piedi di Cristi, the Magdalene at the feet of Christ.

This well-known biblical tale was set to music by two composers both born in the same year in northern Italy.

Giovanni Bononcini (1670-1747) composed his oratorio in 1690 and Antonio Caldara (1670-1736) composed his own around 1697-1698. Caldara proposed a new version of his oratorio in 1713, the only version to have survive...

Bach and the Neapolitan

Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden  BWV 1083...