Giovanni Lorenzo Lulier
Cantate da camera 
edited by Chiara Pelliccia
(Vocal Chamber Music, 2)

1. La Didone, for Soprano and continuo
2. Là dove a Pafo in seno, for Soprano, violin and continuo
3. Ferma alato pensier, for Soprano, cello and continuo
4. Amor di che tu vuoi, for Soprano, cello and continuo

XXVIII, 42 p.; 29,7 x 21 cm
Italian/English Introduction and Apparatus

Giovanni Lorenzo Lulier (ca. 1660 - 1700), also known as Giovanni del Violone, worked in Rome for two major music patrons of his times—Cardinals Benedetto Pamphilj and Pietro Ottoboni. Besides, his name is associated to such stars as violinists Arcangelo Corelli and Matteo Fornari; his musical partnership with them originated Rome's most famous concertino. Lulier's output includes oratorios and chamber cantatas—all of it vocal music, set to texts by various authors, including his patrons. Although he was a virtuoso, he seems to have written no purely instrumental work. Such fact might be explained by his being active side by side with Corelli, who composed instrumental music only.

The works hereby included appear in modern edition for the first time. They form no homogeneous group, their diversity ranging from lament to irony and displaying the variety of styles, forms, and instrumentation typical of Lulier's slim chamber cantata corpus. In La Didone, for soprano and continuo, the expressive power of the lament genre emerges. In Là dove a Pafo in seno, featuring strophic arias with violin, Venus parallels Cupid's lament to the sufferings of human lovers—not without irony. Ferma alato pensier, for soprano and continuo, has the most unusual form, its opening motif returning throughout the first section and the cello switching between solo and continuo roles. The cello also comes to the fore in the fourth cantata, Amor di che tu vuoi. In its text, the poet focuses on his lover's eyes, that are to be admired and shown the effects produced in her lover's heart.

Chiara Pelliccia is a music history researcher, currently studying for a Ph.D. at the Roma 2 University. She collaborates to the Società Italiana di Musicologia for the Dizionario degli editori musicali italiani and for the cataloging project, Clori – Archivio della cantata da camera. She also investigated 20th-century periodicals for the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome. She has published essays on 17th- and 18th-century cantata and sundry aspects of Rome musical life between 19th and 20th century. She was awarded the International “Prince Ruspoli” Prize (Musicology section) in 2011 for her essay, Giovanni Lorenzo Lulier (c. 1660-1700) e la cantata da camera tra le corti di Benedetto Pamphilj e Pietro Ottoboni.