raffaele
la ragione

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biography

“The young Raffaele La Ragione is now on the mandolin what Gustav Leonhardt was once on the harpsichord” Le Monde


Born in Naples in 1986, Raffaele La Ragione took up the mandolin at a very early age. Pursuing his longstanding interest in musicological research and the original repertoire for the instrument, he earned a degree in Drama, Art and Music Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Bologna, with a thesis on the instrument building and musical tradition of the Neapolitan Calace family. He subsequently earned a degree in mandolin at the Milan Conservatory with Ugo Orlandi.


Raffaele regularly performs with various orchestral and chamber ensembles, and has given concerts throughout Italy and Europe (Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden, Turkey), as well as in Asia (China, Japan, South Korea). Ensembles include, among others, the Greek National Opera, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (Myung-Whun Chung), the OSI Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Silete Venti!, and I Solisti Veneti (Claudio Scimone).


Since 2009, he has performed regularly with the pianist Giacomo Ferrari, in both concerts and recordings dedicated to the original repertoire for mandolin and piano: Serenata Napoletana (Brilliant Classics 2015), and Margola Music for mandolin and other chamber music (Brilliant Classics 2019). In 2015 he founded the Motus Mandolin Quartet with whom he recorded the album Raffaele Calace Music for Mandolin Quartet (Brilliant Classics 2017). Together with Ugo Orlandi, following years of research, he recorded the album Nicola Calace Je Reviendrai (2014), dedicated to the figure of Nicola Calace, Raffaele’s brother. With him he also oversaw the publication of the book Carlo Munier il poeta del mandolino (2011).


On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, he recorded the CD Beethoven and his contemporaries with the fortepianist Marco Crosetto (Arcana 2020).


Since 2018 he has been a member of the Orchestra Italiana of Renzo Arbore, with whom he has toured Italy and appeared in television broadcasts on Rai1, Rai2 and Rai5.

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discography

mandolin on stage - raffaele la ragione

mandolin on stage

Works by Vivaldi, Paisiello, Lecce, Hummel, Galuppi, Haydn
Raffaele La Ragione period mandolin
Il Pomo D’Oro orchestra
Francesco Corti conductor

ARCANA (Outhere Music) A524 – Aprile 2022

listen / buy
beethoven-and-his-contemporaries

Beethoven and His Contemporaries

Works by Beethoven, Hummel, Bortolazzi

 

Raffaele La Ragione brescian mandolin
Marco Crosetto fortepiano

ARCANA (Outhere Music) A117 – March 2020

listen / buy
margola

Margola

Works by Margola, Richiedei

Raffaele La Ragione mandolin
Gabriele Zanetti guitar
Daniele Richiedei violin
Giacomo Ferrari piano

Brilliant Classics 96037 – December 2019

listen / buy
don-giovanni

Mozart
Don Giovanni

Live Recording
Senn, Milanesi, Dolcini, Galli, Borgioni, Martin-Cartón, Agudelo

Orchestra Silete Venti! on period instruments
Simone Toni conductor

A project by Barnaba Fornasetti

Warner Classics – January 2018

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raffaele calace

Calace - Music for Mandolin Quartet

Works by Raffaele Calace

MOTUS Mandolin Quartet
Nunzio Reina / Michele de Martino mandolins
Raffaele La Ragione mandola
Salvatore Della Vecchia liuto cantabile and arrangements

Brilliant Classics 95494 – August 2017

listen / buy
serenata-napoletana

Serenata
Napoletana

Works by Munier, Sorrentino, Calveri, Romaniello, Coppola, Poppi, Ancona, Serrao, D’Arienzo, De Crescenzo, Silvestri

Raffaele La Ragione mandolin
Giacomo Ferrari piano

Brilliant Classics 95096 – January 2015

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calace-je-reviendrai

Nicola Calace
Je Reviendrai

Works by Nicola Maria Calace

Raffaele La Ragione mandolin and liuto cantabile
Ugo Orlandi mandolin
Giacomo Ferrari piano

CMI – September 2014

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solisti-veneti-on-the-wings-of-love

On the wings
of love

Works by Mouret, Vivaldi, Pasculli, Rossini, Chopin, Mozart, Paganini, Drigo, Boccherini, Grieg, Charpentier

I Solisti Veneti
Claudio Scimone conductor

Ermitage FAB12076 – December 2007

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concerts

3-21 january

TEATRO REGIO – PARMA / MOZART Don Giovanni with La Toscanini

22-24 february

TEATRO VALLI – REGGIO EMILIA / MOZART Don Giovanni with La Toscanini

17 June

VILLA FALCONIERI – FRASCATI /  “Oltremare” with Andrea De Vitis

7 September

Marsiglia / “Oltremare” with Andrea De Vitis

8 September

AIX-EN-PROVENCE – musee granet / “Oltremare” with Andrea De Vitis

 

9,10 September

CAGNES-SUR-MER / Masterclass

14 September

TEMPIO DI DIOCLEZIANO – SPALATO /  “The Italian mandolin” with Borna Barišić

15,16 September

KORCULA – CROATIA / KORKYRA BAROQUE FESTIVAL /  “Oltremare” with Andrea De Vitis

22 September

FONDAZIONE PIETÀ DEI TURCHINI – NAPOLI /  “Oltremare” with Andrea De Vitis

11 November

MUSEO DEGLI STRUMENTI MUSICALI – ROMA /  “Oltremare” with Andrea De Vitis

25 february

TEATRO GEOX – PADOVA / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

27 february

GRAN TEATRO MORATO – BRESCIA / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

1 march

TEATRO ALFIERI – TORINO / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

19 march

TEATRO VERDI – FIRENZE / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

1,2,3 April

Esch-sur-Alzette – Luxembourg /  Tutor at Forum Musicale, European Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra

16 May

Kulturni Dom – Nova Gorica /  “Mandolin Concertos” with Il Pomo d’Oro

3,4,5 June

Esch-sur-Alzette – Luxembourg /  Tutor at Forum Musicale, European Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra

3 July

Église Saint-Germain – Geneva /  Concerts d’été à St. Germain / “Mandolin Concertos” with Il Pomo d’Oro

4 July

Église Saint-Germain – Geneva /  Concerts d’été à St. Germain / “Mandolin Concertos” with Il Pomo d’Oro

16 September

Muse Salentine – Alessano /  Muse Salentine Festival / “Il mandolino di Beethoven” with Marco Crosetto

28,29,30 October

Esch-sur-Alzette – Luxembourg /  Tutor at Forum Musicale, European Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra

2 November

CHIESA LUTERANA – NAPOLI /  “Serenata Napoletana” with Giacomo Ferrari

20 february

TEATRO SAN CARLINO – BRESCIA / DEDALO ENSEMBLE “SULLE ALI DEL NOVECENTO”
“Omaggio a Franco Margola” / with Gabriele Zanetti, guitar; Daniele Richiedei, violin; Giacomo Ferrari, piano 

27 february

MUSICAL THEATHER – BASEL (CH) / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

28 february

THEATER 11 – ZURICH (CH) / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

3 march

LAC – LUGANO (CH) / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

12 march

GRAN TEATRO GEOX – PADOVA / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

14 march

GRAN TEATRO MORATO – BRESCIA / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

22 march

TEATRO VERDI – FIRENZE / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

10 april

TEATRO TEAM – BARI / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

26 april

TEATRO ALFIERI – TORINO / with Renzo Arbore e L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

28 april

TEATRO OPENJOBMETIS – VARESE / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

23 july

CASTELLO DI MASINO – CARAVINO (TO) / SERE D’ESTATE FAI / Il Mandolino di Beethoven / with Marco Crosetto, fortepiano

 

10 september

CONSERVATORIO “N. SALA” – BENEVENTO / Lecture “La diffusione del mandolino in Europa:
per una storia delle sonate di Ludwig van Beethoven”

 

9 october

BIELLA / GAUDETE! Festival Internazionale di Musica Antica / “Il Mandolino di Beethoven” / with Marco Crosetto, fortepiano

27 november

TEATRO TEAM – BARI / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

 

30 november

MUSEO DI SANTA GIULIA – BRESCIA / “Il Mandolino di Beethoven” / with Marco Crosetto, fortepiano

 

10 january

ATENEO DI BRESCIA / “Giacomo Merchi, chitarrista bresciano (1730-1789)” / with Gabriele Zanetti, guitar

25 january

LA CITTà DEL TEATRO – CASCINA (PI) / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

8 february

TEATRO RENDANO – COSENZA / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

27 february

TEATRO LYRICK – ASSISI / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

2 august

Prateria Inferiore Giardini Reali – Portici / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

4 august

Piazza della Repubblica – Piano di Sorrento / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

7 august

Divinae Follie – Bisceglie / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

19 august

Teatro dei Ruderi – Diamante / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

21 august

Castello Carafa – Roccella Jonica / with Renzo Arbore e L’Orchestra Italiana

23 august

Piazza Libertà – Ragusa / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

26 august

Piazza Castello – Benevento / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

29 august

S. Maria di Castellabbate / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

31 august

Rione Terra – Pozzuoli (NA) / “Anima Napoletana, suggestioni in musica” / with Acustico Napoletano

3 september

amalfi / with Renzo Arbore & L’Orchestra Italiana

8 september

Teatro Monterosa – Torino / MiTo Festival 2020 / “Il Mandolino di Beethoven” / with Giacomo Ferrari, piano

11 september

CHIESA S. CATERINA DA SIENA – FONDAZIONE PIETÀ DE’ TURCHINI – NAPOLI / ESTRO E COMPASSIONE – PIANO CITY 2020
“Il Mandolino di Beethoven” / with Marco Crosetto, fortepiano

13 september

Palazzo Annibaldeschi – Montecompatri (RM) / I Concerti di Campagna
“Il Mandolino di Beethoven” / with Marco Crosetto, fortepiano

18 september

SPAZIO TEATRO 89 – Milano / MiTo Festival 2020 / “Il Mandolino di Beethoven” / with Giacomo Ferrari, piano

19 september

Castello Angioino Aragonese – Agropoli (SA) / “Calace, Music for mandolin quartet” / with Motus Mandolin Quartet

3 november

FONDAZIONE GHISLIERI – CENTRO DI MUSICA ANTICA – PAVIA
“Il Mandolino di Beethoven” / with Marco Crosetto, fortepiano

press

mandolin on stage

GUITARE CLASSIQUE

09.2022

“Accompagné par des concertistes d’exception — parmi les fers de lance de la musique baroque —, Raffaele La Ragione réalise un véritable tour de force, pour un album de grande envergure, en nous replongeant dans toute la splendeur et la flamboyance de l’époque baroque. La grande qualité de l’interprétation et de l’enregistrement, tout comme l’immense travail de recherche en amont font de cet album plus qu’une réussite, une référence.”
Pascal Proust

Mandolin on stage

THE MANDOLIN JOURNAL

08.2022

“Italian players are leading the charge in developing “historically informed performance” (HIP) for early mandolin and Raffaele La Ragione is one of the very best. As for the performances – in a word, stupendous. Even if you have heard the Vivaldi a million times, you have not heard it like this – unusual and creative ornamentation, and telepathic interplay between soloist and ensemble. The Hummel is similarly revelatory. A fixture in my car stereo since release, and my highest recommendation.”
Robert Margo

mandolin on stage

CLASSICA

07.2022 / 08.2022

“Dès les premières secondes, la mandoline se mêle au clavecin, au théorbe et aux pizzicati des violons, alto, violoncelle et contrebasse. Quel univers ! Les sonorités saisissent, quasi  percussives, qui miroitent, étincellent et scintillent, pluie singulière d’or, d’argent, de cristal et de verre. Voilà qui fait particulièrement merveille dans le Concerto en do majeur RV 425 de Vivaldi (Murano n’est pas très loin), composé en 1725, et distingue cette nouvelle lecture dans une discographie déjà bien fournie.” Fabienne Bouvet

mandolin on stage

AMADEUS

06.2022 / 07.2022

“Eccellente la lettura di Raffaele La Ragione – un vero virtuoso – che si serve di ben tre diversi tipi di mandolino, perfettamente coadiuvato dall’orchestra Il Pomo d’Oro brillantemente diretta da Francesco Corti.”
Marco Riboni

mandolin on stage

MUSICA

06.2022

“Un’interpretazione di notevole livello per pertinenza stilistica, scioltezza di eloquio e adeguata sensibilità da parte di un solista indubbiamente agguerrito e padrone dello strumento, perfettamente coadiuvato dalla direzione limpida e scorrevole di Corti, qualità che hanno permesso di valorizzare appieno le peculiarità di ogni partitura, permettendo così di avere un ascolto sempre vivo, frizzante e sereno.”
Claudio Bolzan  (5 Stelle)

Mandolin on stage

GRAMOPHONE

06.2022

“On his four-course ‘Neapolitan’ mandolin (c1770), La Ragione is a total joy. His playing is nimble and lyrical, quirkily suggestive but never obvious.” 
Mark Seow

mandolin on stage

RECORD GEIJUTSU

06.2022

This disc invites you to a journey of glorious history of mandolin, from Vivaldi to Hummel. With a magic-like interpretation from the musicians, each piece shines. Sonority of mandolins intoxicates. This is a rare disc I wish to return to again and again.

mandolin on stage

RES MUSICA - la clef

06.06.2022

“Tout au long de ces pages musicales d’une agréable élégance et d’une diversité de sonorités et d’intentions bien calibrée, Raffaele La Ragione caractérise son jeu par un son clair et une ligne limpide, la virtuosité pleine d’éclat et de verve de l’instrumentiste paraissant évidente au regard de la sérénité de son interprétation et la maîtrise de style comme des instruments utilisés. Parce qu’en effet, c’est aussi la démarche « informée » des musiciens qui donne beaucoup d’intérêt à ce disque et à l’interprétation qui en découle. Ce n’est donc pas une, mais trois mandolines qui sonnent au gré des modèles de l’époque, conformément à l’organologie de l’époque où le terme de « mandoline » désignait des instruments bien différents, le répertoire choisi étant influencé par leur technique de jeu et le son de ces instruments caractérisé.”
Charlotte Saulneron

Mandolin on stage

MUSIC PAPER MAGAZINE

04.06.2022

“La Ragione offre una interpretazione da manuale. Si coglie un vigoroso pulsare di idee che mai prevarica le partiture: a ogni tratto affiora sensibilità estrema per il timbro, virtuosismo scintillante, equilibrio del suono, intelligenza di fraseggio e seducente intensità lirica. Il risultato è a dir poco eccellente.”
Attilio Cantore (TOP CD)

mandolin on stage

ALL MUSIC

05.2022

“La Ragione is a lively player who lets some of the mandolin’s vernacular flair seep into his playing, and in general, the album is a lot of fun and can certainly be recommended to mandolinists of any sort and those who love them.”
James Manheim

mandolin on stage

DIAPASON

05.2022

“Ecoutez la brillance savoureuse du Concerto en sol majeur de Lecce (et son magnifique Largo central, d’esprit si archaïque), la crânerie ironique du Mi bémol majeur arbitrairement attribué à Paisiello, ou l’envergure canaille de Hummel (comment résister à son Andante à variations?)”
Olivier Fourès (5 de Diapason)

mandolin on stage

RUCH MUZYCZNY

27.05.2022

“Izraelskiemu mandoliniście Aviemu Avitalowi wyrósł rywal z Neapolu. Raffaele La Ragione bynajmniej debiutantem nie jest, a najnowszą płytą udowadnia, że ma wiele do powiedzenia.”
Mateusz Borkowski

mandolin on stage

EARLY MUSIC REVIEW

23.05.2022

“Exciting and enjoyable CD of concertos for early mandolins.What cheerful music this is.”
Stewart McCoy

mandolin on stage

THE IRISH TIMES

20.05.2022

“He mixes the musical palette further by using three period-style instruments with different string types and tunings. It’s an attractive formula. The light, tangy tone of the mandolin is well-adapted to jaunty, bright and breezy fast movements. And in these fine performances, the concertos by Vivaldi and Hummel show how well the instrument can be adapted to expressive slow movements, too.” 
Michael Dervan

Mandolin on stage

DE GELDERLANDER

07.05.2022

“The sound mix between mandolin, harpsichord and plucked strings is magnificent. The solo playing transcends subtle tinkering and offers drive, alertness, intimacy (second movement of Vivaldi’s Mandolin Concerto) and sparkling passages.”  Maarten-Jan Dongelmans

Mandolin on stage

music web international

04.2022

“Raffaele La Ragione is an outstanding player, who delivers stylish and differentiated performances, based on a thorough knowledge of the various instruments and their features as well as the way they were played in the 18th century. The mandolin may play a marginal role in modern concert life and some music lovers may find it not easy to take it seriously, but this disc should convince every sceptic, that it is an instrument which fully deserves a place on the stage.”
Johan van Veen (Recommended)

mandolin on stage

PRESTO MUSIC

04.2022

“Corti is seemingly incapable of music-making that doesn’t dance and shimmer, but his isn’t the only Midas Touch in evidence on this irresistible programme of mandolin concertos by Vivaldi, Paisiello, Lecce and Hummel – La Ragione taps into a wealth of colours in each work too, showcasing the distinctive timbres of three different period mandolins in the process.”
Katherine Cooper (Editor Choice)

mandolin on stage

LE DEVOIR

22.04.2022

“La brillante virtuosité du soliste est captée par une prise de son qui règle idéalement la problématique du dosage entre le frêle instrument et l’orchestre.” 
Christophe Huss

BEETHOVEN AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES

DIAPASON

05.2021

«La mélodie est reine, la texture variée, l’équilibre entre les instruments subtil, reposant sur la parfaite complicité des deux partenaires. Rien n’est laissé au hasard, y compris les choix organologiques: Marco Crosetto aborde les pièces de Beethoven sur une copie d’un Walter de 1792, tandis que le rest du programme, plus tardif, sonne idéalement sur une copie de Graf de 1819 sans aucune lourdeur. Le tout s’apprécie comme une gourmandise piquante et vitaminée, qui vous met de bonne humeur!»
5 De Diapason
Wissâm Feuillet

BEETHOVEN AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES

GUITARE CLASSIQUE

09.2020 / 11.2020

“Son écriture laisse place à la légèreté naturelle de la mandoline à laquelle Raffaele La Ragione fait honneur.”
Laurent Duroselle

Beethoven and his contemporaries

THE MANDOLIN JOURNAL (CMSA)

08.2020

“The performances are crisp, fresh-sounding (very difficult in this repertoire), imaginative, vivacious, and extremely musical – basically, how I imagine this music really would (and arguably, should) sound if I could travel back in time. Even if you have many (many, many …) recordings of this music, I strongly recommend it – and if, somehow, you don’t have a recording of this music, this could easily serve as the reference in your collection. Recorded sound is world-class.”
Robert Margo  

MARGOLA: MUSIC FOR MANDOLIN AND OTHER CHAMBER MUSIC

THE MANDOLIN JOURNAL (CMSA)

08.2020

“This superb CD illustrates the world-class performance and musicological skills of Raffaele la Ragione, serves as an excellent introduction to Margola’s chamber music for mandolin and guitar. The music is eminently worthwhile and impeccably performed.”
Robert Margo

Beethoven and his contemporaries

der spiegel

12.08.2020

“Wer Lust auf diese Rarität in Beethovens Œu­v­re hat, dem sei die CD ans Herz gelegt. Interpretiert ist sie schön von Raffaele La Ragione, der auf dem Nachbau einer Mandoline des 18.”
Thomas Schmoll

Beethoven and his contemporaries

BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

06.2020

“Vividly performed and recorded disc.”
Bayan Northcott

Beethoven and his contemporaries

DAG OG TID

15.05.2020

“The interpretation on the CD could not be better – the interaction is technically «tight», and the different effects are consistent. The pearly sound of this combination produces this unique one.”
Sjur Haga Bringeland

Beethoven and his contemporaries

MUSIKZEN

05.05.2020

“Interprétation de haut vol, une aubaine pour les mandolinistes.”
Marc Vignal

Beethoven and his contemporaries

MUSICA

04.05.2020

“I due solisti hanno saputo dominare dall’alto la scrittura dei tre autori valorizzando appieno le
loro peculiarità stilistiche ed espressive, senza comunque rinunciare al più estroverso e brillante
virtuosismo.”
Claudio Bolzan

Beethoven and his contemporaries

RES MUSICA

25.04.2020

“Raffaele La Ragione et Marco Crosetto nous restituent quelques pages pour instrument à clavier et mandoline, datant du tournant des XVIIIe et XIXe siècles, un travail surprenant de beauté et de grâce. Du grand art.”
Maciej Chiżyński

Beethoven and his contemporaries

LA REPUBBLICA
ROBINSON

18.04.2020

“Le suona Raffaele La Ragione su un pepato mandolino bresciano, a quattro corde.”
Gregorio Moppi

Beethoven and his contemporaries

le monde

10.04.2020

“Le jeune Raffaele La Ragione est aujourd’hui à la mandoline ce que Gustav Leonhardt fut jadis
au clavecin.”
Pierre Gervasoni

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