I Musici

A conductorless Italian chamber orchestra, [b]I Musici[/b] was formed in Rome in 1952 by graduates from Accademia di Santa Cecilia. Original members have successively been replaced on an egalitarian basis, maintaining an energy and freshness to their work. The ensemble consists of six violins, two violas, two cellos, a double bass and a harpsichord. Their works are primarily in the field of Baroque, especially compositions by Vivaldi, Albinoni, Marcello, Lotti and Geminiani.

[b]I Musici[/b]'s first recording of Antonio Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' in 1955 gained such interest in these compositions that there are now over 120 recordings of this popular piece. Over the years a number of virtuosi have augmented [b]I Musici[/b]'s performances and recordings, such as: Severino Gazzelloni, Frans Bruggen, Aurèle Nicolet, Maxence Larrieux, Heinz Holliger, Maurice Bourgue, Klaus Thunemann, Marco Costantini, Maurice Andrè, Hakan Hardenberger, Guy Touvron and Bernard Soustrot.