Stefano Aresi
About
Stefano Aresi is a musicologist and performer specialising in the history and practice of singing, with particular focus on 18th-century repertoires. His research explores the intersection of source studies, performance practices, and vocal aesthetics, especially in relation to castrato singers, Italian cantatas, and ornamentation. He has published on figures such as Nicola Porpora and Luigi Marchesi, and regularly collaborates with early music performers and institutions as artistic and scholarly advisor. His work combines archival research, critical editing, and historically informed performance, often realised through the ensemble Stile Galante, which he founded and directs. Stefano has also developed solid expertise in digital humanities, particularly in the design, population, and maintenance of databases. His early involvement in EU-funded projects and his later work for academic and cultural institutions include the cataloguing of rare materials and a strong focus on metadata architecture. In the past decade, Stefano has conceived, directed, and edited more than 15 commercial recordings as leader of Stile Galante, published by labels such as Glossa, Passacaille, Pan Classics, and Glaux. His repertoire focuses on rare or unpublished vocal works from the late 17th to early 19th centuries, many of which appear in world-première recordings under his direction.
Competencies
- 18th-Century Opera
- Digital Humanities
- Historical Musicology
- History of Singing
- History of music education
- Music
- Music Improvisation
- Music and drama
- Music history
- Music performance
- Musical Philology
- Musical Theater
- Musicology
- Opera studies
- Performance Practice
- Philology
- Singing and speech development
- Text Criticism
- Vocal Performance Practice
- singing skills
Publications
Essays and Books
Elements towards the understanding of Luigi Marchesi vocal skills, in The Ocean of Sopranos: Career of a Castrato Singer, Luigi Marchesi (1754-1829), ed. by Stefano Aresi, Nicholas Baragwanath, Rosa Cafiero, Stile Galante - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, Alkmaar 2024, pp. 177-216;
Marchesi, Pirro e Milano: memorabilia di una svolta artistica, in Musica, lettere e istituzioni a Milano nell’età di Luigi Marchesi (1754-1829), ed. by Rosa Cafiero and Stefano Aresi, Stile Galante - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, Alkmaar 2011, pp.113-126;
«Udir la voce del divin Marchesi»: il Pirro di Zingarelli, l’arte del canto e una carrozza per Bergamo, in Cara mia scientia, musica, ed. by Daniele Sabaino, Rodobaldo Tibaldi, Angela Romagnoli, ETS, Pisa 2018, pp. 218-256;
In note velocissime: Vita e arte di Luigi Marchesi, musico soprano (1754-1829), Sillabe Editore, Livorno 2016 (Strumenti per la musicologia 2);
An introduction to Agrippina, in Nicola Porpora, Agrippina, ed. by Holger Schmitt-Hallenberg, Algaras, Gran Tonante 2014;
Porpora tra Dresda e Vienna, in Studi Pergolesiani / Pergolesi Studies, ed. by Claudio Bacciagaluppi, Hans-Günter Ottenberg, and Luca Zoppelli, Bern, Peter Lang 2012, pp. 229-257;
Nella fucina di Polifemo: Nicola Porpora tra creazione, tradizione e correzione, in Nicola Porpora musicista europeo: le corti, i teatri, i cantanti, i librettisti, ed. by di Nicolo Maccavino, Reggio Calabria, Laruffa 2011 (Sopplimenti musicali I,12);
Le notazioni della polifonia vocale dei secoli ix-xvii: Antologia, parte prima, ed. by Maria Caraci Vela, Daniele Sabaino, Stefano Aresi, Pisa, ETS 2010;
Dai ‘doppi finali’ alle edizioni anastatiche. Alcune considerazioni in merito alla tradizione de L’Orfeo, «Philomusica» viii/2 (2009), pp. 64-90;
Critical Editions
Nicola Antonio Porpora, Sei duetti sacri (1754), Algaras (Svezia), Gran Tonante, 2011 (Serie Porpora 1);
Nicola Antonio Porpora, Or sì m’avveggio, Amore, Roma, SiDM, 2007;
Nicola Porpora, Mottetti per Angiola Moro, Pisa, ETS, 2004 (Diverse voci... 5);
Lexicon Entries
Porpora Nicola, in MGG Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, ed. by. Ludwig Finscher, Kassel, Bärenreiter, 1994–, Personenteil, Band 13 (2005);
Reviews & Communications
“Mozart on the Stage” di John A.Rice, «Drammaturgia musicale» iv (2010), pp. 100-103;
Stile Galante, «Eighteenth-Century Music», xv/2 (2018), pp. 257-8;
Recordings (as Conductor)
Tragedie Cristiane, Hallenberg, Bridelli, La Grotta, Cassinari, De Liso, Terranova, Stile Galante, Aresi, Passacaille Records PAS1164;
Rolli, Paolo. Canzonette, Stile Galante, Aresi, Glaux GL001;
Porpora, Nicola. Music for the Venetian Ospedaletto, Lo Monaco, Stile Galante, Aresi, Glossa GCD 923537;
Dufay, Guillaume. Nuper rosarum flores, Stile Galante, Aresi, Stanford University 2022;
A Souvenir from London, Cassinari, Stile Galante, Aresi, Glossa GDC 923531;
The Farinelli Manuscript, Hallenberg, Stile Galante, Aresi, Glossa Music GCD923521;
Caldara, Antonio. Brutus, Foresti, Stile Galante, Aresi, Pan Classics PC10389;
Nicola, Porpora. L’amato nome, Bridelli, Cassinari, Galli, De Liso, Stile Galante, Aresi , Glossa Music GCD 923513;
Arias for Luigi Marchesi, Ann Hallenberg, Stile Galante, Aresi, Glossa Music, GCD923505;
Jommelli, Nicolò. Tirsi, soprano cantatas, Arias Fernandez, Stile Galante, Aresi, Pan Classic, PC10308;
Vinci, Leonardo. Alto arias, Mineccia, Stile Galante, Aresi, Pan Classics PC10297;
Porpora, Nicola. Aminta, pastoral cantatas, De Liso, Stile Galante, Aresi, Pan Classics PC10285;
Vinci, Leonardo. Fileno, soprano cantatas, Galli, Cassinari, Stile Galante, Aresi, Pan Classics, PC10266;
Porpora, Nicola. Passio, music on the Passion of Christ, Stile Galante, Aresi, Pan Classics PC1024;
Mesomedes. Hymnus, musica alla corte dell’imperatore Adriano, Fragkorapti, Aresi, Milk 001.
2024
-
Cafiero, Rosa;
Baragwanath, Nicholas;
Aresi, Stefano.
(2024)
The Ocean of Sopranos: Career of a Castrato Singer, Luigi Marchesi (1754-1829).
Stile Galante Publishing
Stile Galante Publishing
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
2021
-
Aresi, Stefano;
Cafiero, Rosa.
(2021)
Musica, lettere e istituzioni a Milano nell’età di Luigi Marchesi (1754-1829).
Stile Galante Publishing
Stile Galante Publishing
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Books
-
Cafiero, Rosa;
Baragwanath, Nicholas;
Aresi, Stefano.
(2024)
The Ocean of Sopranos: Career of a Castrato Singer, Luigi Marchesi (1754-1829).
Stile Galante Publishing
Stile Galante Publishing
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
-
Aresi, Stefano;
Cafiero, Rosa.
(2021)
Musica, lettere e istituzioni a Milano nell’età di Luigi Marchesi (1754-1829).
Stile Galante Publishing
Stile Galante Publishing
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Teaching
Courses
Outreach
2025
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Academic lectureBucciarelli, Melania; Aresi, Stefano. (2025) Il progetto WoVen: Fonti, metodologie e risultati preliminari. La ricerca sul lavoro delle donne in età moderna: Percorsi, carriere, imprenditorialità. Tre progetti a confronto (ANR DEFI 2024-2027; VidiMus; WoVen) , Naples. Palazzo Giusso, Università di Napoli 'L'Orientale' 24.10.2025 - 24.10.2025
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Academic lectureBucciarelli, Melania; Sisk, Brad Carlton; Aresi, Stefano; Colonna, Deda Cristina; Arnoldo, Silvano. (2025) International Outlook: The WoVen Project. Her Perspective: the Forgotten History of Opera. International Seminar About Operas Composed by Women (Copenhagen, 27-28 November 2025) , Copenhagen, Royal Danish Opera - Takkeloftet 27.11.2025 - 28.11.2025