Al Gusto de Isabel

When Isabel de Farnesio arrived in Spain in 1714, she brought with her the musical world in which she had grown up: Italian opera, instrumental virtuosity and a passion for music. Her influence helped transform Madrid into one of Europe’s most vibrant musical centres, attracting composers and performers from across the continent.

Al Gusto de Isabel explores the rich musical landscape of eighteenth-century Madrid, bringing together music by Corselli, Scarlatti, Boccherini, Hasse and D’Alay, alongside anonymous works and popular Spanish dances.

From the brilliance of Corselli’s operatic overtures and Scarlatti’s inventive sonatas to Boccherini’s elegant chamber music and the irresistible rhythms of the fandango, the programme reflects the meeting of Italian sophistication and Spanish musical tradition that characterised musical life at the royal court.

The programme also includes Hasse’s “Pallido il sole”, a nod to Jorge Jiménez’s earlier programme El Violín de Farinelli.

Performed by Tercia Realidad, Al Gusto de Isabel is not simply a reconstruction of a historical concert, but an invitation to imagine the extraordinary soundscape that surrounded Isabel de Farnesio in eighteenth-century Madrid.