AL AYRE ESPAÑOL

Il martirio di Santa Teodosia

The period ensemble Al Ayre Español and its conductor and harpsichordist Eduardo López Banzo once again delight audiences with the revival of an intriguing youthful score by Alessandro Scarlatti, written during his formative years in Rome: the oratorio Il martirio di Santa Teodosia. Music of remarkable beauty and dramatic depth, it tells the story of the sacrifice of the young Theodosia who, driven by unwavering faith, rejects the love of Arsenius, son of the Roman governor Urbanus, and faces execution. Research by the eminent musicologist López Banzo suggests that the work, which shows important influences from Bernardo Pasquini and Alessandro Stradella, was probably premiered in 1684 under the patronage of Christina, Queen of Sweden. Its closing madrigal is deeply moving.