Rachel Stott viola d’amore Jeremy Brooker baryton

Formed in 1998, the Ariosti Duo brings together two of the most unusual of baroque instruments, the viola d’amore and the baryton, creating an ensemble of incomparable resonance and tonal variety. The Duo performs a substantial body of repertoire by Ariosti and his contemporaries but is also intrepid in its exploration of music from the classical period to the present day. Taking source material from Hungarian folk melodies to Japanese children’s songs, the musicians create their own arrangements as well as entirely new compositions for their unique combination of instruments. The extreme range of the 7 stringed viola d’amore and the presence of the sympathetic strings on both instruments means that the duo can create the illusion of a larger ensemble and continually capture the ear with its magical timbres. The musicians present programmes with plentiful explanation of the mysterious workings of the instruments and engaging introductions to the less familiar repertoire. Their performance philosophy is to entertain, first and foremost, and to stimulate interest in the back lanes and side alleys of music history.

Sample Programme:

Rogue’s Gallery: How were 18th Century musicians mixed up in dentistry, legal affairs and espionage? In a programme which explores the hidden scandals behind the respectable veneer of baroque and classical sonatas, the Ariosti Duo introduce their audiences to the music of forgers, bigamists and defrocked priests as well as that of JS Bach, Telemann and Karl Stamitz.

Education:

Enchanted Islands: Mainly intended for 7-11 year olds this is a creative, hands-on project which combines the magical sounds of the viola d’amore and baryton with school percussion or home-made instruments, using descriptions of islands by authors from Joan Aiken to Shakespeare.

Recordings:

Demo cassette available on request

Performances:

7 May 07 Art to Zen Cafe-Gallery, Islington
16 May 07 Bury St Edmunds Festival
14 Jul 07 St Thomas’s Church, London N4

Contact:

Rachel Stott, Flat 2, 7 Gillespie Road,
London N5 1LH

Tel/Fax: 020 7704 0147

Email: rachel@symphony82.freeserve.co.uk