Henry: A La Recherche De La Musique Perdue – Angelo Litrico

It is a well-known pleasure for music lovers to discover hidden treasures; and it frequently happens that forgotten gems are found even within the output of well-known composers. But when the composer himself (or, intriguingly, herself..?) is in turn virtually unknown, then the adventure becomes even more attractive. This is undoubtedly the case with the Henry who wrote the works in this Da Vinci CD, whose first name was unknown even to the compiler of the only biographical notice we have about him. (It is more likely that Henry was a man than a woman, since the clarinet was not among the instruments most frequently played by females at the time). Contemporary research, in fact, could not go beyond the few lines we find in François-Joseph Fétis’ Biographie universelle des musiciens; indeed, the entries on “Henry” found in the most updated modern encyclopaedias express doubts on even the scanty facts given as likely by Fétis. In fact, Fétis ventures the hypothesis that our Henry might have been the son of Bonaventure Henry, a much better-known musician who lived in Paris between eighteenth and nineteenth century. Bonaventure taught violin, and acquired long-lasting fame for his talents as a pedagogue; his methods for violin were long recommended by famous performers as a formidable training for overcoming technical difficulties. Bonaventure had also a lively activity as a performer; his debut at the famous Concerts Spirituels (a series of concerts focusing on religious music) took place in 1780, when performed a Concerto composed by himself; later he was given a job as first violin at the Theatre Beaujolais, where he was still active in 1791. It is also possible that he was an entrepreneur in the field of musical publishing, since some works by one of the sons of J. S. Bach was published by “Henry” at the turn of the century. It has been hypothesized, moreover, that Bonaventure had a rather large and musical family, as several musicians with that family name and a suitable age were active in the early 1800s in Paris, among which one “citizen Henry” who is remembered as a female singer in the chronicles of the time.

Angelo Litrico: Clarinet player, teacher and researcher, Angelo Litrico ha based his musical experience mainly in the field of classical music with a repertoire ranging from later baroque to the beginning of the twentieth century. Born in Catania (Italy) he graduated there in clarinet at the Istituto Musicale Vincenzo Bellini and after his diploma, he perfected his studies in Palermo with Vittorio Luna. In 2001 he met in Paris the clarinet player and woodwind maker Gilles Thomé who introduce him to the study of historical clarinet, practice that he developed in Holland with Eric Hoeprich at the Koninklijke Conservatorium. He has played in different countries for institutions such as: Gelderse muziekzomer Festival, C.N.S.M. Paris, Musica Antiqua Brugge, Amici della Musica, Robeco Zomer Concerten, Van Vlaanderen Festival, Musicales Guil-Durance. He also got the first prize in several Chamber music competitions. A follower of historical informed practice, he has devoted himself to the research of the repertoire of his instrument and to the history and development of the single reed, knowledge that he shared in several seminars and master classes held at various Italian and foreign high schools of music. With the support of the French wind instrument maker Olivier Cottet, he started an atelier in Catania in 2018 where he makes copies of clarinets from the 17th and 18th centuries. He is clarinet professor in a junior high school for music since 2003 and he is the editor of a series of chamber music books for wind instrument published by Edizioni Novecento.

Domenico Spada: Born in Catania in 1961, he began playing guitar as a child. He always privileged in his exhibitions the original guitar repertoire and ensemble music. Winner of many guitar competitions, he graduated from the conservatory “F. Torrefranca” of Vibo Valentia. He has performed for relevant musical associations such as G.M.I., S.I.E.M., A.M.I., A.GI.MUS., C.I.M.S., Lyceum, Ass. G. Javicoli (Rome), Ass. Mus. Etnea. He has performed both as a soloist and in various chamber ensembles (Duo and trio with guitar, duo with piano, duo with flute, singers, string quartets and orchestra). From 1986 to 1992, he attended an international course, named “Città di Sapri” for advanced guitarists under the guidance of Maestro Angelo Ferraro. He also attended, as a triennial student, a course of high specialization at the “Music Academy of Pescara” under the guidance of Maestro Angelo Ferraro. In the summer of ’90 he toured in Mexico City performing for the major musical institutions, such as: “Escuela Nacional de Musica”, “U.N.A.M.”, Orchestra of the “Instituto Politecnico Nacional”, playing the “Concerto Op. 99 in D” of M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco under the direction of S. Carballeda. In 1991 he performed Concerto Breve” by F. Margola, invited by the “Youth Orchestra of Campania. In 1994 he toured France with the “Croche double Croche” Association, playing F. Sor’s works in a guitar duo. In 1995 he was called by the “U.N.A.M.” (University of Mexico) to teach in a specialization course for the students of the local musical school. Since 1994 he also started to work as a lutist. He has published a book on guitar making (Edizioni Novecento) in which he illustrates his constructive method. He plays with an instrument made by himself in 1996.