Ferronati di Bergamo! The name alone conjures up visions of hills, mountains and vast Italian lakes, the sun warming you beneficently and la dolce vita with an original aperol spritz on the terrace of a historic villa. Before me lies the cd Concerti & Mottetti per Santa Maria Maggiore by Ensemble Locatelli conducted by Thomas Chigioni.
Ferronati himself may not be a name that rings a bell spontaneously, but in eighteenth-century Bergamo he was a key figure. For more than sixty years he was connected to the Cappella Musicale of the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, first as a violinist and later as maestro di cappella. Remarkably, much of his music was lost and until recently was hardly known. This recording – a true world premiere – changes that, bringing recently rediscovered concerti and motets back to life.
The music clearly follows the Venetian Baroque tradition: echoes of Vivaldi resound in the ritornelli, the contrasting tempi and the prominent role for the solo violin. At the same time there is a very distinctive character, with a strong combination of virtuosity and lyricism. The cd is also nicely structured: instrumental concerti alternate with vocal motets, providing variation in colour and character, and a natural balance between exuberance and stillness.
The image of that drink on the terrace, however, puts you off the scent. Ensemble Locatelli plays with a class that makes the aperol taste even better: what a wealth of sound! Both in the tutti and in the solo passages you are overwhelmed by a beneficent warmth and an almost physical experience of how beautiful music can be. Music that makes you tingle to your toes. Those Italians: they had – and have – savoir-vivre.
The two motets deserve their place and showcase that typically Italian Baroque virtuosity at its best. The fantastic Francesca Longa (herself connected to Santa Maria Maggiore) sings cheerfully the Crudelis Herodes (vespers of Epiphany). The equally impressive alto Margherita Maria Sala delivers a passionate and virtuosic En gratulemur hodie (vespers of St. Anthony). What stands out above all is the sound of both voices: full, warm and round, without ever becoming sharp or intrusive. They move with an easy breath, as if following the rhythm of a quiet heartbeat – broad, generous and unmistakably Italian. The vocal highlights are not laid on thickly, but grow organically from the music itself.
And just when you think you've heard it all, something happens that keeps your attention fresh. Subtle details make the difference: the Gregorian chant, sung in a beneficent Italian manner, that weaves itself through the first motet, or the refined interplay between alto and violin in the second. These are precisely the small details that make this performance speak.
Ensemble Locatelli plays with sharp definition and utmost precision, with great finesse in articulation and phrasing. Everything is in its place, without ever slipping into academic rigidity or dryness. On the contrary: the music continues to breathe and move, with a lightness and ease in which the Italian – almost Venetian – atmosphere rings out uninhibitedly.
When I finish listening to each cd I write about, I ask myself the question: why would I listen to it a second time? Here the answer is clear. Not only because of the rare repertoire, but above all because of the conviction of the performance. In the final number, Ensemble Locatelli sharpens its knives once more and again achieves that impressive combination of virtuosity and musicality.
The cd was recorded in 2023, so some time has passed, but we should be especially happy that this world premiere is here. I am certainly curious to hear more discoveries from the man from Bergamo and – especially – I can only strongly recommend everyone to follow Ensemble Locatelli and, with a bit of luck, go and listen live!
Or, to describe it really in one closing sentence: after this cd you feel like the real thing: Bergamo, that aperol and Ensemble Locatelli live. La Dolce Vita!
Released 17 april 2026
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