Francesca Torelli

Francesca Torelli is a gifted lutenist and early music specialist who’s carved out a niche reviving the delicate beauty of Baroque and Renaissance compositions. With a focus on historical plucked instruments like the theorbo and lute, she’s become a go-to interpreter of 17th- and 18th-century French and Italian works, particularly those of Robert de Visée, Charles Mouton, and Alessandro Piccinini. Her recordings, such as *Musique pour le Roy Soleil* and *Piccinini: Intavolatura di Liuto*, showcase her knack for balancing scholarly rigor with expressive warmth, breathing life into intricate dance suites and introspective fantasias.

Torelli’s passion for uncovering forgotten gems shines in projects like *Renaissance Fantasias*, where she traces lute music’s pan-European evolution, and *Le Dialogue*, which highlights Mouton’s elegant French suites. Her playing—intimate yet technically dazzling—invites listeners to savor the nuances of courtly music once performed for Louis XIV or whispered in Italian salons. Whether unspooling de Visée’s sunlit melodies or navigating Piccinini’s complex counterpoint, she bridges centuries with strings that feel both ancient and freshly alive.

Genres

Medieval

Chamber Music

Folk

Classical

World

Baroque

Early Music

Renaissance

Historical Performance

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Rachel Podger

Latest Release

Les sentiments: French Baroque Masterworks

Francesca Torelli

Album - 21 Tracks - Released March 28, 2025