ANTONIO MARIA BONONCINI (1677-1726): Cantatas Sul margine adorato, Vorrei pupille belle, Mentre in placido sonno, Troppo, troppo rigore.

Description: Published in 1708, these cantatas reveal Antonio as the superior composer to his brother Giovanni with their finer craftsmanship, greater complexity, intricate motivic development, sophisticated counterpoint and rich harmonic details which feature biting dissonance and chromatic chords which help the effect of the poetry. And - another remarkable male soprano, whom they seem to just churn out these days... Italian-English texts. Radu Marian (soprano), Ars Antiqua Austria; Gunar Letzbor. 2005 release.