William Babell - 24 Sonatas (Cappella Musicale Enrico Stuart)

Information

Composer: William Babell

• 24 Solos for a Violin or Oboe with Basso Continuo, Book 1 & 2

Cappella Musicale Enrico Stuart

    Enrique Gómez-Cabrero Fernández, violin

    Chiara Strabioli, flute

    Paolo Pollastri, oboe

    Romeo Emanuele Ciuffa, bassoon

    Andrea Lattarulo, cello

    Simone El Oufir Pierini, harpsichord & organ

Date: 2026

Label: Brilliant Classics

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This recording presents the first complete collection of Baroque chamber works by William Babell, reflecting the vibrant musical culture of early 18th-century London. Active during a time shaped by Italian opera, French dance, and English sacred traditions, Babell emerged as a versatile musician and renowned keyboard player, praised even above George Frideric Handel by contemporaries. The recording features his sonata collections from 1716 and 1720, performed by Cappella Musicale Enrico Stuart with varied instrumentation. Influenced by Arcangelo Corelli, these works combine formal elegance with expressive richness, evoking the refined atmosphere of London’s 18th-century salon culture.

William Babell (c. 1690–1723) was an English composer, harpsichord virtuoso, and arranger known for his elaborate keyboard transcriptions of operatic arias. Trained by his father and figures such as Johann Christoph Pepusch, and possibly George Frideric Handel, he performed widely in early 18th-century London. Babell served as organist at All Hallows, Bread Street, and gained fame for virtuosic arrangements, including music from Handel’s Rinaldo. While praised by Johann Mattheson, critics like Charles Burney questioned his style. He also composed sonatas, concertos, and other works before his early death in 1723.