Francesco Cavalli

Francesco Cavalli (1602 – 1676) was an Italian composer of the early Baroque period. His real name was Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni, but he is better known by that of Cavalli, the name of his patron Federico Cavalli, a Venetian nobleman.

This work is my creative intrepretation of the Aria "Mai voli ch'il mio Core" from Act I Scene 5 of the Itallian Opera "L'Ormindo" for Flute & Harp. Although a Baroque opera (1644), I felt it contained many of the later period stylistic elements fround in romantic works.

Ormindo (L'Ormindo) is an opera in three acts and a Prologue by Francesco Cavalli to an original Italian libretto by Giovanni Faustini. The manuscript score and libretto, which describes the work as a favola dramatica musicale, are held at the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice. The opera has set numbers with recitative, and is set in Fez in the ancient Kingdom of Mauretania.

Although this piece was written for Opera, I created this arrangement for Flute and Concert (Pedal) Harp.