Il mio bel foco (Quella fiamma)
Music: Francesco Conti (1681-1732)
Sometimes attributed to Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739)
Words: Poet Unknown
Il mio bel foco is a fiery and impassioned ode to a love that will never be extinguished. After a slow recitative the motion begins and we are pulled into an emotional discourse. We sway back and forth between major and minor, with many peaks and valleys. Intricate figuration in the accompaniment, followed by more open and sparse sections make for a compelling feeling of stress and release as the song progresses. Students working on this song may be interested in trying out their ideas of improvised ornamentation with this song, a practice common when this song would have first appeared.
Francesco Conti is an interesting figure. He was a composer and a master musician; he played the mandolin and theorbo. He wrote the earliest sonatas for the mandolin! He was born in Florence, but worked primarily in Vienna. There he wrote several operas and his second and third marriages were both to primma donna Sopranos of the Vienna stage who sang lead roles for his operas. His music was greatly appreciated and reworked by both Handel and J.S. Bach.
Key of A Minor
Range : Octave plus Minor 7th : B up to A
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Sample MP3, Piano & Melody,
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Sample MP3, Piano Only,
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A Minor Sheet Music Sample |
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Key of G Minor
Range : Octave plus Minor 7th : A up to G
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Sample MP3, Piano & Melody
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Sample MP3, Piano Only,
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G Minor Sheet Music Sample |
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Key of E Minor
Range : Octave plus Minor 7th : F# up to E
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Sample MP3, Piano & Melody
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Sample MP3, Piano Only,
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E Minor Sheet Music Sample |
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