Bassadanza
Dante’s first solo CD, entitled ‘Bassadanza’ features his Italian repertoire including many items never previously recorded. On this album you can hear eight instruments: Lute, orpharion, colascione, French and Italian citterns, renaissance guitar, hurdy gurdy and vihuela. Composers include Francesco da Milano, Giovanni da Nola, Simone Molinaro, Giovanni Terzi and many more.
Review
‘Full marks for enterprise and imagination! This extraordinary disc is the calling card of a real renaissance man, who appears looking roguish in suitably flamboyant Italian attire on the sleeve insert. The repertory is a wide-ranging collection of Italian songs and dances from 1517 to 1617, plus a couple of Ferrara’s own compositions. The disc has more variety than one has a right to expect, a good helping of seriously unusual repertory and plenty of gioia. Highlights include some very successful playing on orpharion and cittern and vigourously uninhibited strumming on the colascione.’
from ‘Early Music Review’