Arrangements for Soprano and Wind Quintet/Quartet
arr. by Robert Ostermeyer
Benedetto Marcello (1686–1739)
"Quella fiamma" arranged for Soprano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn & Bassoon
Benedetto Marcello was born in 1686 into a Venetian patrician family and pursued careers as a lawyer and statesman alongside his work as a composer throughout his life. He held offices in the Consiglio dei Quaranta and served as Rettore in Pola, before spending his final years as Camerlengo in Brescia, where he died in 1739. Musically he was largely self-taught, supplemented by studies with Francesco Gasparini and Antonio Lotti, and considered himself a "dilettante"; nevertheless, his eight-volume psalm setting "L'estro poetico-armonico" is regarded as one of the most significant sacred vocal works of the 18th century. Marcello is also known for the satirical pamphlet "Il teatro alla moda", a biting critique of the operatic conventions of his time. The famous aria "Quella fiamma che m'accende" (also known as "Il mio bel foco") is traditionally attributed to Marcello; however, its authorship is not considered fully settled in scholarship — it has occasionally been attributed to Francesco Bartolomeo Conti or regarded as a free arrangement by Alessandro Parisotti from the late 19th century.
Robert Ostermeyer's arrangement transfers the aria — originally conceived for voice and basso continuo — into a chamber setting for soprano and winds. Oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon take on the accompanying role of the continuo while also adding their own distinctive instrumental colours to the vocal line.