Various Composers - 20th Century Italian Works for Double Bass (Antonio Mercurio)

Information

1. Giuseppe Maria Marangoni - Elegia in E Minor
2. Giuseppe Maria Marangoni - Fantasia e polacca
3. Giovanni de Capua - Romanza senza parole
4. Virgilio Mortari - Duettini concertati: I. Incontro
5. Virgilio Mortari - Duettini concertati: II. Elegia
6. Virgilio Mortari - Duettini concertati: III. Capriccio
7. Virgilio Mortari - Fogli d'album: I. Lento
8. Virgilio Mortari - Fogli d'album: II. Allegro moderato
9. Virgilio Mortari - Rapsodia elegiaca: I. Preludio
10. Virgilio Mortari - Rapsodia elegiaca: II. Intermezzo
11. Virgilio Mortari - Rapsodia elegiaca: Introduzione e canzone a ballo
12. Luciano Berio - Psy
13. Vito Mercurio - Capriccio dell'anima

Antonio Mercurio, double bass

Mihaela Costea, violin

Alice Baccalini, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Brilliant Classics

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The double bass, the string family’s largest and lowest-pitched member, originated in the 15th and 16th centuries, blending design elements from both the viol and violin traditions. As the instrument evolved to provide essential orchestral harmonic foundation, its construction and acoustic projection were continually refined. Highlighting the double bass's modern versatile repertoire, double bassist Antonio Mercurio, joined by violinist Mihaela Costea and pianist Alice Baccalini, presents an ambitious program of 20th-century Italian works. The recording features solo and chamber duos by composers including Giuseppe Marangoni, Giovanni de Capua, Virgilio Mortari, Luciano Berio, and Vito Mercurio.

Double bassist Antonio Mercurio trained at Milan’s Civica Scuola di Musica, the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory, and the Stauffer Academy under Franco Petracchi. Since 2015, he has served as principal double bass of the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini and has led bass sections for major ensembles, including the Cherubini Orchestra under Riccardo Muti and the Balthasar Neumann Orchestra. A distinguished soloist and chamber artist, Mercurio has appeared with prominent orchestras, co-founded the Coll’Arco Quartet, and performed in various duo formations. His accolades include the 2015 "Carlo Capriata" International Prize and the 2020 J.M. Sperger Competition Cinematic Award.