Encounters in Rome

Around the turn of the year 1706-7, at the age of 21, Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759) arrived in Rome. According to the memoires of Händel written by John Mainwaring (1760) “The fame of his musical achievements at Florence and at Venice had reached that metropolis long before him”. At that time in Rome, Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) was a musical star: by then in his fifties, he was already long established as the most important violinist and composer of instrumental music of the city, working for the most illustrious patrons such as Pietro Ottoboni, Benedetto Pamphili and Francesco Maria Ruspoli. As Händel soon worked for the same patrons, the two must often have shared the stage during Händel’s time in Rome in 1707 and 1708, certainly for the premieres of Händel oratorio’s Il trionfo del Tempo and La Resurrezione. At those occasions Corelli was concertmaster and Händel led from the harpsichord. During a rehearsal for the premiere of La Resurrezione, there was reportedly a dispute between Corelli and Händel regarding the performance of the French overture, a movement Corelli could not appreciate. Händel then played the ‘problematic passage’ himself, to which Corelli replied: ‘But, beloved Saxon, that music is in the French style, of which I understand nothing’, whereupon Händel composed an Italian overture. Apart from this clash, there is no other friction known between the two brilliant musicians. Händel and was clearly influenced by Corelli’s style, for example in his trio sonatas provided Corelli magnificent solo parts in which he could shine. The (musical) encounters of these two masters are the inspiration for this programme.

Musica Gloria is a young and vibrant early music ensemble, directed by Beniamino Paganini and Nele Vertommen. The ensemble aims to move listeners with affectionate, lively, colourful and historically informed performances on (copies of) historical instruments. The ensemble does not shy away from performing both well-known masterpieces and unjustly unknown compositions. Musica Gloria has performed for leading organisations including AMUZ, BOZAR, Concertgebouw Brugge, Klara, MAfestival, Musica Antica, and Mubafa. Before this cd, they released already ‘Fasch’s Oboe’ and ‘The Bachs and The Flute’.
Beniamino Paganini (b. 1994) is a passionate traverso player, harpsichordist and ensemble leader. He obtained master degrees for traverso, harpsichord and ‘Maestro al Cembalo’, as well as a bachelor’s degree in musicology, all awarded with great distinction.
Nele Vertommen (b.1999) was already fascinated by early music at the age of five. She obtained her master’s degree in baroque oboe in the class of Marcel Ponseele with highest honours, for which she was awarded a prize by the artistic foundation “Horlait-Dapsens”.

Musica Gloria
Beniamino Paganini claviorganum & direction
Nele Vertommen oboe & direction
Elise Dupont violin *when first violin Daria Spiridonova violin *when first violin
Lena Rademann viola
Evan Buttar cello
Giulio Quirici theorbo & guitar


Eline Van Garsse organ bass in no. 9
Markus Harder-Völkmann nightingale register in no. 29