Instrument: harpsichord, Barthélémy Formentelli (Verona, 1989) after Bartolomeo Cristofori (Florence, c.1690)
Playing time: 55'
Recording date: March 1996 (Montepulciano)
Michelangelo Rossi (1602-1656) was perhaps the leading contemporary of Frescobaldi and one of the primary composers to give the toccata its final form. The publication date for the present collection (the final two pieces survive only in manuscript) is unknown, but may be as early as 1630.
The style is of course closely linked to Frescobaldi's, but we see here a more extensive exploration of texture per se. Oddly, Rossi was well-known as a violinst during his lifetime, although it is certainly his keyboard music which has made a lasting impression.
The second volume of this set, performed on organ:
Other collections devoted to Rossi:
Finally, a recording devoted to Rossi's madrigals:
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Todd M. McComb