As an instrument from Italy, one that was exotic and evocative of Mediterranean atmospheres, the mandolin was very much in fashion in France until the end of the Century of Enlightenment: a fact also confirmed by many iconographic and musical sources. Pizzicar Galante, an ensemble that stands today as a benchmark for the interpretation of the galant literature for mandolin and continuo, has been acclaimed for the "finesse, creativity and spirit" (Olivier Fourés, Diapason) and "communicative energy" of it's performances (Sébastien Llinares, France Musique).

Scarlatti et la mandoline : ce disque propose un rapprochement captivant et inattendu entre l’un des plus importants compositeurs du baroque et un instrument originaire de Naples qui a connu un véritable âge d’or à Paris et dans les capitales européennes au xviiie siècle. Le protagoniste de cet enregistrement est l’ensemble Pizzicar Galante, fondé à Paris en 2012 par la mandoliniste Anna Schivazappa et le claveciniste Fabio Antonio Falcone.

As an instrument from Italy, one that was exotic and evocative of Mediterranean atmospheres, the mandolin was very much in fashion in France until the end of the Century of Enlightenment: a fact also confirmed by many iconographic and musical sources. Pizzicar Galante, an ensemble that stands today as a benchmark for the interpretation of the galant literature for mandolin and continuo, has been acclaimed for the “finesse, creativity and spirit” (Olivier Fourés, Diapason) and “communicative energy” of its performances (Sébastien Llinares, France Musique). For its second recording with Arcana, it offers a compilation of the finest music played during the veritable “golden age” enjoyed by the mandolin in Paris from the 1760s to the Revolution. It is a rare and unexplored repertoire in which the dazzling virtuosity of Anna Schivazappa, a specialist in historical mandolins, dialogues with the beguiling and charismatic voice of Marc Mauillon.