Various Composers - Spiritillo Mediterraneo (Cristina Prats Costa)

Information

1. Andrea Falconieri - Il primo libro di canzone: Il Spiritillo Brando
2. Andrea Falconieri - Il primo libro di canzone: La Suave Melodia
3. Andrea Falconieri - Il primo libro di canzone: Corriente dicha la Cuella
4. Andrea Falconieri - Il primo libro di canzone: Brando dicho el Melo
5. Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber - Sonata No. 5 in E Minor C. 142
6. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Aria malinconica. Adagio
7. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Ground in E Major
8. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Sarabanda amorosa. Adagio
9. Santiago de Murcia - Fandango (arr. Cristina Prats Costa)
10. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Adagio in A Minor
11. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Aria in D Minor
12. Gaspar Sanz - Españoleta (arr. Cristina Prats Costa)
13. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Giga. Al genio Turchesco
14. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Aria. Adagio in C Minor
15. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Allegro. Preludio prestissimo
16. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Diverse Bizarrie sopra la vecchia Sarabanda ò pur Ciaccona
17. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Preludio in A Minor
18. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Passaggio rotto. Andamento veloce
19. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Un poco di maniera Italiana
20. Antonio Vivaldi - Violin Concerto in D Major, RV 208 "Grosso Mogul": II. Recitativo. Grave
21. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Aria ridicola
22. Alessandro Striggio - Nasce la pena mia (arr. Johann Schop)
23. José de Nebra - Seguidillas (arr. Cristina Prats Costa)
24. Jean-Féry Rebel - Violin Sonata No. 7 in G Minor: Sarabande
25. Nicola Matteis - Ayres for the Violin: Aria burlesca

Cristina Prats Costa, violin

Lucas Harris, archlute, theorbo & baroque guitar

Charlotte Nediger, harpsichord 

Michael Unterman, violoncello

Joseph Phillips, viola da gamba & bass 

Naghmeh Farahmand, daf, darbuka & tambourine 

Esmeralda Enrique, castanets

Date: 2026

Label: PentaTone

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Cristina Prats Costa makes her solo recording debut with Spiritillo Mediterraneo, a vivid exploration of seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century Mediterranean musical traditions. Inspired by Il Spiritillo Brando, the album embraces the Baroque spirit of invention, improvisation, and expressive ornamentation. Featuring music by composers including Andrea Falconieri, Antonio Vivaldi, and Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, the recording highlights the Mediterranean as a meeting point of Italian virtuosity, Spanish rhythmic vitality, and French elegance. Castanets and Cristina Prats Costa’s own arrangements of Spanish works further enrich the album’s distinctive character. Rooted in her Spanish heritage and international artistic experience, the recording combines historical awareness with a highly personal and expressive musical voice.

Cristina Prats-Costa is a Spanish baroque violinist recognized for her expressive leadership and stylistic sensitivity, described by The Strad as “a leader playing with uncommon sensitivity.” Specializing in historically informed performance, she performs with leading ensembles such as The English Concert, Il Pomo d’Oro, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and The Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. She is also co-founder and first violinist of the award-winning Alauda Quartet, known for its acclaimed recordings of lesser-known repertoire. Educated across major institutions in Europe and North America, including The Juilliard School, she has received numerous international awards and scholarships. Prats-Costa’s work is distinguished by intellectual depth, emotional clarity, and a commitment to expanding the expressive possibilities of early music performance.