Word Premiere Concert. Neapolitan Music Society

Up until now Neapolitan classical music has always failed to reach the wide audience it truly deserves. The particular system of musical scoring used by composers of the Neapolitan style can only be interpreted by a handful of maestros today—but keeping the works of such brilliant artists as Scarlatti, Pergolesi, and Durante, locked in a vault would be a shame. And such is the premise of the New York-based Neapolitan Music Society (NMS), which will give two nights of performances in honor of this genre, so beloved in its time and yet hardly heard in ours.


The music itself was born in Neapolitan conservatories in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose primary purpose, originally, was to produce ecclesiastical music and to form church musicians. The burgeoning commercial music scene in Naples allowed for the development of a distinct Neapolitan style which soon became in demand. At the peak of its fame, Neapolitan musicians were received by many royal courts in Europe, in particular by the Russian tsars. The NMS believes this rich chapter in musical history, nearly lost, is ripe for re-discovery and that Neapolitan music may have had a deep impact on the evolution of musical forms.


Now Maestro Gioacchino Longobardi, president of the NMS and one of the world’s foremost transcribers of Neapolitan music will conduct, respectively, the Neapolitan Chamber Ensemble, and the Neapolitan Symphony Orchestra on two separate evenings. The world premiere, entitled “The Neapolitan Masters: Foundation of the European Tradition” will take place first at Casa Zerilli-Marimò on Friday, April 11th and then on Sunday, April 13th at NYU's Skirball Center . (Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University - 566 LaGuardia Place - Washington Square South). The concerts will feature pieces by Durante, Leo and Pergolesi, among others.


Matilda Cuomo is an enthusiastic supporter of NMS' work and has said of the upcoming performances:“The contribution our Italian ancestors made to the arts weaves a rich and colorful story. [...] I’m delighted to join you in supporting this historically significant event thanks to Maestro Gioacchino Longobardi.”


For details on this concert and ticket information, please consult the links attached to this article.