The Italian Scotsman: An 18th Century Musical Journey into Old Scottish Music Collected and Arranged by Francesco Barsanti and Others – Ensemble Aqua Felix

The figure of Francesco Barsanti is worth rediscovering. Born in Tuscany, he was one of the musicians who brought the Italian musical culture to Britain. In London, he had a successful career as a performer and teacher of flute and oboe, and as a composer. After a time in Italy, he went back to the British islands, and spent some time in Scotland, where he got acquainted with the local musical tradition, absorbing it fully and deeply. From this encounter between the typical features of Scotland folk music with the Italian expertise a publication was issued: in it, Barsanti collected some 28 old Scottish tunes, which he provided with continuo accompaniments. Barsanti was able to identify the typical traits of Scottish music, and he adopted a very respectful attitude towards them, without flattening their originality in the effort to adapt them to the “mainstream” classical tradition. Here they are offered in performances which mirror the variety and creativity of coeval performing practices, intertwining the Barsanti tunes with variations, diminutions and creative adaptations.