Ensemble Aurora
Early Music Ensemble
Inspired by Eos, the rosy-fingered goddess, the Aurora ensemble was founded in 1986 by Enrico Gatti and other musicians keen on the study and performance of the Italian musical heritage. All members of the group have an accurate personal musical training, and have specialized and qualified in the most prestigious European schools such as the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, the Schola Cantorum of Basel, the Centre de Musique Ancienne of the Conservatory of Geneva, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Conservatoire Supérieure of Paris.
In a time when ancient music sonority is getting a very nervous and rhythmical physiognomy, the Aurora Ensemble has based its sound emission research on the most peculiar characteristic of the XVII and XVIII century aesthetics: the imitation of nature and consequently of human voice, in its dynamics, pronunciations and articulations. On this base the correct use of original instruments according to repertoire is not conceived as an aim, but as a precious mean in order to recover the Italian tradition, characterized by nobility and refinement that can be obtained only through a perfect balance between rigorous preparation and interpretative fancy.
The Aurora Ensemble made recordings for Tactus, Symphonia, Arcana and Glossa, for which it has made various first world recordings. The group has gained twice the I International Prize Antonio Vivaldi for the best Italian instrumental music recording in 1993 and 1998 and several times the "diapason d'or”, in particular for all the Corelli Cds.
The ensemble has started by making accurate studies on the XVII century literature and on the "sonatas a tre" by A. Corelli, in order to obtain a necessary stylistic base to be able to perform later music without risking to make anachronistic interpretations.
Besides many instrumental programs, other programs with secular cantatas, lamentations for the Holy Week, the important oratorios "La Susanna" and “San Giovanni Battista” by A. Stradella and the Stabat Mater by L. Boccherini have been performed, in collaboration with singers like Roberta Invernizzi, Gemma Bertagnolli, Gloria Banditelli, Guillemette Laurens, Jill Feldman, Roberta Mameli, Lavinia Bertotti, Gian Paolo Fagotto.
The group has been on tour all over Europe, United States, South America and Japan, being guest of important concert seasons, among which remarkable are the Festival van Vlaanderen, Lufthansa Festival London, Festival des Cathedrales, Ambrases Schlosskonzerte Innsbruck, Festival International de Musique Sacrée de Lourdes, Tage Alten Musik Herne, Théatre de Caen, The Library of Congress (Washington), Festival Vivaldi in Veneto, Musica e Poesia a San Maurizio (Milano).
Soon Aurora will begin recording with Novantiqua Records.