Song of the day - La Bergamasca by Ucellini (Il Giardino Armonico)

This is my submission for the Song of the Day by @recordpool.

This piece, "La Bergamasca" by the early Italian Baroque composer, Marco Ucellini (1603-1680) comes from his Op 3 set of Sonate, Arie et Correnti (published in Venice in 1642). The trio sonata here is written for two treble instruments and Basso Continuo, and in this particular version is set for 2 sopranino recorders, cello, ceterone and harp.

This is an example of a ground bass dance, that the Pachelbel Canon is probably the most famous example of. There is a constant repeating few bars of harmonic bass upon which the two treble parts chase each other in an expression of improvised joy. This type of composition (the ground bass) was a common style at that time, the limited harmonic progression was used to highlight the improvisation skills of the performers.

The performers of this interpretation are the famed "Il Giardino Armonico", an Italian Early Music group that in the early 2000's converted many instrumentalists to the field of Early Music with their skill and flamboyance. It was definitely one of the groups that hold a special place in my own development as a musician.