Invocazioni Mariane is a new CD from counter-tenor Andreas Scholl and his long time collaborators the Accademia Bizantina and their conductor Alessandro Tampieri.  It consists of 18th century music from Naples; all of which is in some way connected with the Virgin Mary and is mostly drawn from oratorios or similar pieces designed to be performed during Holy Week.  Back in the day, with women not permitted on the stage in Naples (or the Papal States) the high parts would have been sung by castrati.  That, of course, is where Scholl comes in.

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