Since the early '50s, the pioneering chamber orchestra I Musici has focused on the music of the Italian Baroque but performs a variety of other works. The group set a basic pattern for countless other small Baroque orchestras. I Musici ("The Musicians") are also known as I Musici di Roma. Originally, the name was intended to suggest a pure enthusiasm for musical performance. The group was formed in 1951 in Rome, where the members -- nine men and three women, the latter unusual at the time -- were students at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia. I Musici gave its first concert at the Santa Cecilia church in March of 1952, and it quickly gained national and even international success. The idea of a chamber orchestra devoted to Baroque music was quite new at the time, and one without a conductor (I Musici has a first-violinist leader who coordinates the group) was newer still, but group members contended successfully that for much of the Italian Baroque, a conductor was not used. Within its first several years, I Musici toured Europe; the group then visited the Americas, Japan, Australia, and southern Africa. I Musici's membership has changed but has been marked by stability; violinist Felix Ayo, leader from 1952 to 1958, performed with the group into the late 2010s. The group was championed early on by legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini, who gave them a signed portrait of himself, inscribed with the words "Good, very good! No, music does not die!" At first, the orchestra's repertory focused heavily on the music of Vivaldi, Corelli, Albinoni, and other Italian Baroque composers, much of which was uncommon on concert programs in the 1950s and early '60s. Later, the group began to perform string works by 20th century composers, including Barber, Bartók, and Nino Rota. The orchestra has performed consistently at major music festivals, including those in Edinburgh, Salzburg, and Aix-en-Provence. In the '70s, I Musici made the first classical music video. Several famous musicians have passed through I Musici on the way to solo careers, including violinists Salvatore Accardo, director from 1972 to 1977, and Pino Carmirelli from 1977 to 1986 (the founder of the Carmirelli Quartet). The group's recording activities stretch well back into the LP era. I Musici played a major role in popularizing Vivaldi's Four Seasons violin concertos, which it has recorded several times; the group's recordings remained strong sellers for many years. For much of its career, I Musici was associated with the Philips label and then with Decca when both those labels were absorbed into the larger PolyGram conglomerate. In later years, the group has recorded for various labels, including Urania, IDIS, and Dynamic. Through the many innovations and changes of fashion in the performance of Baroque music, I Musici has remained successful and viable. The group released a new recording of The Four Seasons on Decca in 2022, by which time, its catalog comprised some 100 albums. ~ James Manheim, Rovi

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