Ferrari: Sonatas & Balletti

Like many of his compatriots Giacomo Gotifredo Ferrari (1763‐1842) finally settled in London, where he moved in the aristocratic circles, a sought‐after teacher and performer. Ferrari's keyboard works represent a synthesis of the styles circulating around Europe - Great Britain included - at the turn of the nineteenth century. His compositions reveal both his admiration for Mozart and his own tendencies towards Classicism, in dialogue now with the Galant, now with the pronounced melodic traits of the Italian Operatic style, and now with the virtuosic formulae of the new piano music associated with Muzio Clementi.

This recording presents sonatas and balletti, played by Stefania Neonato, one of Italy's foremost pianists specializing in playing period instruments. She studied with Alexander Longquich and Malcolm Bilson, she is Professor at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart. She is a regular guest at important (Early Music) Festivals. On this recording she plays a copy of a Walter fortepiano built by Paul McNulty.