Baroque

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20th century

21st century

Solo repertoire

Piccolo

Alto flute

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Marcello Benedetto

Albinoni, Tomaso Giovanni

Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel

Bach, Johann Sebastian

Bach, Wilhelm Friedmann

Barre, Michel de la

Benda, Franz

Blavet, Michel

Boccherini, Luigi

Boismortier, Joseph Bodin de

Čart, Jiří

Chédeville, Nicolas

Corelli, Arcangelo

Corrette, Michel

Couperin, François

Handel, George Frideric

Hotteterre, Jacques-Martin

Leclair, Jean-Marie l'aîné

Locatelli, Pietro Antonio

Loeillet (de Gant), Jean-Baptiste

Marais, Marin

Marc, Thomas

Marcello, Benedetto

Martini, Giovanni Battista

Müthel, Johann Gottfried

Pachelbel, Johann

Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista

Platti, Giovanni Benedetto

Quantz, Johann Joachim

Telemann, Georg Philipp

Tromlitz, Johann George

Vitali, Tomaso Antonio

Vivaldi, Antonio

Sonata Op. 2 No. 5 in G Major

Sonata Op. 2 No. 1 in F Major

Sonata Op. 2 No. 2 in D minor

Sonata Op. 2 No. 3 in G minor

Sonata Op. 2 No. 4 in E minor

Sonata Op. 2 No. 5 in G Major

Sonata Op. 2 No. 6 in C Major

Sonata Op. 2 No. 7 in B-flat Major

Sonata Op. 2 No. 8 in D minor

Sonata Op. 2 No. 9 in C Major

Sonata Op. 2 No. 10 in A minor

Sonata Op. 2 No. 11 in G minor

Sonata Op. 2 No. 12 in F Major

Flute Concerto

Sonata Op. 2 No. 5 in G Major

By Marcello Benedetto

Benedetto Marcello: Sonata Op. 2 No. 5 in G Major was published in 1712 in Venice as part of a twelve-sonata collection, Op. 2. Originally, these sonatas were composed for the recorder (flauto dolce) and basso continuo. In the 18th century, "flauto" almost exclusively referred to the recorder, while the transverse flute was called "flauto traverso."
The Op. 2 collection was dedicated to Augustus III (Frederick Augustus II), the Elector of Saxony and later King of Poland. This dedication was a strategic move, as the Saxon court in Dresden was a major hub for virtuoso wind playing.
These pieces were intended for so-called academies, private musical gatherings of the nobility and for the use of "dilettante" (amateur) gentlemen, of which Marcello himself was a prime example. Marcello was a high-ranking magistrate and member of the Great Council of Venice. Because of his social status, he could not legally accept money for his music. He famously signed his works "Dilettante di Contrappunto," signaling that he composed for intellectual pleasure rather than trade.
In 1712, Venice was the musical capital of the world. Marcello’s Op. 2 was published just as Vivaldi’s L’estro armonico (1711) was revolutionizing the concerto. Marcello’s sonatas, however, followed a more conservative, Corellian structure (sonata da chiesa), focusing on melodic nobility and rigorous counterpoint.

Vasco Magnolato (flute), Michele Liuzzi, (harpsichord), Giuliano Vio (cello), 1991, Rivoalto - Newton Classis / o2digitale

1. Largo 2. Allegro 3. Adagio 4. Allegro

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Marcello Benedetto

Benedetto Marcello (1686–1739) was a prominent Venetian composer, writer, and magistrate. He is a primary representative of the "nobile dilettante", an aristocratic class of musicians who composed for intellectual prestige rather than financial gain.
Born in Venice, Italy, into a distinguished patrician family, he was raised with the expectations of high public office. His father, Agostino Marcello, was a senator, and the family held significant influence in the Venetian Republic.
According to 18th-century anecdotes (notably from his contemporary, Fontana), Benedetto’s musical education began as a reaction to his older brother, Alessandro Marcello. After being teased for his poor playing, Benedetto dedicated himself to rigorous study under the masters Francesco Gasparini and Antonio Lotti.
Despite his musical gifts, his upbringing prioritized the law. He completed extensive legal studies, which prepared him for a lifelong career in the Venetian civil service. Marcello held a series of prestigious government posts, including membership in the Council of Forty (1711) and serving as the Provveditore (governor) of Pola (1730–1737).
Marcello’s style is characterized by a "noble" restraint and a preference for rigorous counterpoint over the flashy virtuosity typical of the late Italian Baroque.
His most celebrated work is a massive eight-volume setting of the first 50 Psalms. It was lauded throughout Europe for its "sublime" expression and its inclusion of ancient Jewish liturgical melodies.
He is famously the author of Il teatro alla moda (c. 1720), a biting satirical pamphlet that mocked the excesses and clichés of the Venetian opera scene, including the vanities of castrati and composers like Vivaldi.
His 12 Recorder Sonatas, Op. 2 (1712), remains a cornerstone of the woodwind repertoire, admired for its structural clarity and melodic elegance.