raffaele
la ragione
mandolin • historical mandolins
“Le jeune Raffaele La Ragione est aujourd’hui à la mandoline
ce que Gustav Leonhardt fut jadis au clavecin” Le Monde
ce que Gustav Leonhardt fut jadis au clavecin” Le Monde
biography
“The young Raffaele La Ragione is now on the mandolin what Gustav Leonhardt was once on the harpsichord” Le Monde
“On his four-course Neapolitan mandolin, La Ragione is a total joy” Gramophone
Born in Naples in 1986, Raffaele La Ragione took up the mandolin at a very early age. Since then, he has devoted himself to researching historical plectrum instruments and their original repertoire, from early music to contemporary, to which he has dedicated numerous recordings for different labels (Arcana / Outhere Music, Warner Classics, Brilliant Classics)
As a soloist and chamber musician he has toured throughout Italy, Europe and Asia and he has collaborated as performer and recording artist with I Solisti Veneti (Claudio Scimone), Il Pomo d’oro (Francesco Corti), Seoul Philarmonic Orchestra (Myung-Whun Chung), La Serenissima (Adrian Chandler), Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Greek National Opera, Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali Milano, La Toscanini Parma.
In 2020, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, he released the disc Beethoven and his Contemporaries, which was favorably received by the critics all around the world. In 2022 he recorded the CD Mandolin on Stage with Il Pomo d’Oro orchestra conducted by Francesco Corti. The album is dedicated to the most important mandolin concertos of the 18th century, composed between Naples and Vienna, which appear in a new light here thanks to the use of three different period mandolins. The album received differents awards and a nomination for the german Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik for the best early music album.
Since 2018 he has been a member of the Orchestra Italiana of Renzo Arbore, the greatest Italian showman with whom he has toured Italy and appeared in television broadcasts on Rai1, Rai2 and Rai5.
He is mandolin teacher at the Bergamo Conservatory.
“On his four-course Neapolitan mandolin, La Ragione is a total joy” Gramophone
Born in Naples in 1986, Raffaele La Ragione took up the mandolin at a very early age. Since then, he has devoted himself to researching historical plectrum instruments and their original repertoire, from early music to contemporary, to which he has dedicated numerous recordings for different labels (Arcana / Outhere Music, Warner Classics, Brilliant Classics)
As a soloist and chamber musician he has toured throughout Italy, Europe and Asia and he has collaborated as performer and recording artist with I Solisti Veneti (Claudio Scimone), Il Pomo d’oro (Francesco Corti), Seoul Philarmonic Orchestra (Myung-Whun Chung), La Serenissima (Adrian Chandler), Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Greek National Opera, Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali Milano, La Toscanini Parma.
In 2020, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, he released the disc Beethoven and his Contemporaries, which was favorably received by the critics all around the world. In 2022 he recorded the CD Mandolin on Stage with Il Pomo d’Oro orchestra conducted by Francesco Corti. The album is dedicated to the most important mandolin concertos of the 18th century, composed between Naples and Vienna, which appear in a new light here thanks to the use of three different period mandolins. The album received differents awards and a nomination for the german Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik for the best early music album.
Since 2018 he has been a member of the Orchestra Italiana of Renzo Arbore, the greatest Italian showman with whom he has toured Italy and appeared in television broadcasts on Rai1, Rai2 and Rai5.
He is mandolin teacher at the Bergamo Conservatory.
“On his four-course Neapolitan mandolin, La Ragione is a total joy” Gramophone
discography
mandolin on stage
Works by Vivaldi, Paisiello, Lecce, Hummel, Galuppi, Haydn
Raffaele La Ragione period mandolin
Il Pomo D’Oro orchestra
Francesco Corti conductor
Il Pomo D’Oro orchestra
Francesco Corti conductor
ARCANA (Outhere Music) A524 – Aprile 2022
Beethoven and His Contemporaries
Works by Beethoven, Hummel, Bortolazzi
Raffaele La Ragione brescian mandolin
Marco Crosetto fortepiano
Marco Crosetto fortepiano
ARCANA (Outhere Music) A117 – March 2020
Margola
Works by Margola, Richiedei
Raffaele La Ragione mandolin
Gabriele Zanetti guitar
Daniele Richiedei violin
Giacomo Ferrari piano
Gabriele Zanetti guitar
Daniele Richiedei violin
Giacomo Ferrari piano
Brilliant Classics 96037 – December 2019
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
Nunzio Reina / Michele de Martino mandolins
Raffaele La Ragione mandola
Salvatore Della Vecchia liuto cantabile and arrangements
Brilliant Classics 95494 – August 2017
Serenata
Napoletana
Works by Munier, Sorrentino, Calveri, Romaniello, Coppola, Poppi, Ancona, Serrao, D’Arienzo, De Crescenzo, Silvestri
Raffaele La Ragione mandolin
Giacomo Ferrari piano
Giacomo Ferrari piano
Brilliant Classics 95096 – January 2015
concerts
2025
28 january
Madrid / Teatro del Canal / OTTOCENTO NAPOLETANO con Vincenzo Capezzuto & Motus Mandolin Trio
14 march
Shangai / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
15 march
Ma’anshan / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
16 march
Changzhou / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
18 march
Qingdao / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
20 march
Sapporo / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
22 march
Kyoto / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
23 march
Tokyo / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
24 april
Antwerpen / NEAPOLITAN SONGS con Pene Pati & Il Pomo d’Oro
28 april
Salò / OTTOCENTO NAPOLETANO con Vincenzo Capezzuto & Motus Mandolin Trio
19 may
Bergamo / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
12 june
Ravenna / Ravenna Festival / OTTOCENTO NAPOLETANO con Vincenzo Capezzuto & Motus Mandolin Trio
17 / 20 june
Recording New Project
21 june
Istanbul / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
22 june
Istanbul / OLTREMARE con Andrea De Vitis
26 july
Menton / Menton Festival / NEAPOLITAN SONGS con Pene Pati & Il Pomo d’Oro
10 august
Ravello / Ravello Festival / NEAPOLITAN SONGS con Pene Pati & Il Pomo d’Oro
19 august
Osor / Osor Festival / MANDOLIN CONCERTOS con Il Pomo d’Oro
21 august
Osijek / MANDOLIN CONCERTOS con Il Pomo d’Oro
4 september
Bremen / Bremen Festival / NEAPOLITAN SONGS con Pene Pati & Il Pomo d’Oro
5 october
Sussex, UK / MANDOLIN CONCERTOS con La Serenissima
14 october
London / St.Martin in The Fields / MANDOLIN CONCERTOS con La Serenissima
21 october
Venezia / Casino Bru Zane / OPERA DREAM con François Dumont
30 october / 2 november
Recording New Project
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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)
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
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)
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
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
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
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)
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
