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Spiritato! is an exciting and dynamic group of young musicians based in London, performing music from the 17th and 18th centuries. Founded in 2008, the group has sought to challenge and delight audiences with innovative programmes featuring lesser-known composers alongside more established names. Producing unique, research-based performance projects, avoiding well-trodden paths wherever possible, Spiritato actively seeks to promote forgotten composers and bring their music to a wider audience. The group has a special interest in English Resoration theatre music, and has recently been exploring this vibrant and unusal branch of Baroque music.
Past performances have included White Night at the Brighton Early Music Festival in 2011, and a live broadcast of music by Henry Purcell and Godfrey Finger on In Tune for BBC Radio 3. In addition to recording with counter-tenor Raffaele Pé, the summer of 2012 saw Spiritato! tour the south-west of France.
The group enjoyed great success in 2016 with their ambitious new project Guts and Glory, a first look at the experimental methods further developed today. This pioneering project featuring the music of Biber and Schmelzer. Performing throughout England, this project involving real natural trumpets and equal tension strings was enthusiastically received by audiences. The ensemble has recently completed a 6 concert-tour of major UK festivals with Inspiring Bach, returning to the magnificent sound of trumpets, drums and adding voices for a programme featuring large-scale cantatas, collected and admired by J.S. Bach himself.
Having released two albums on the Resonus Classics label, including the world premiere recording of Daniel Purcell’s daring 1701 opera The Judgment of Paris - described by BBC Radio 3 Record Review as ‘high-quality entertainment’ - the ensemble have recently recorded two albums for award-winning Delphian Records. Spiritato's "The Taste of this Nation", released in February 2021, has since been followed by "Sonatas from the Düben Collection" in September 2022.
Members of the group can often be found performing with specialist ensembles throughout the UK and Europe, including the Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Les Talens Lyriques, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and Gabrieli Consort & Players. |
