'It’s an attractive formula. The light, tangy tone of the mandolin is well-adapted to jaunty, bright and breezy fast movements.'
The Irish Times
Raffaele La Ragione
Raffaele La Ragione
Mandolin
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, to which he has dedicated numerous recordings.
Genre
Classical
Biography
In 2020, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, he released his first disc for Arcana, Beethoven and his Contemporaries, which was favorably received by the critics: “The young Raffaele La Ragione is today to the mandolin what Gustav Leonhardt was to the harpsichord.” (Le Monde) His interests have always extended to popular music, and since 2018 he has been part of the Orchestra Italiana of the famous singer- songwriter and showman Renzo Arbore, with whom he has made numerous tours and television broadcasts.
Reviews
'La Ragione taps into a wealth of colours in each work too, showcasing the distinctive timbres of three different period mandolins ...'
Presto Music
'Listen to the savoury brilliance of Lecce's Concerto in G major (and its magnificent central Largo, so archaic in spirit), the ironic skullduggery of the E flat major arbitrarily attributed to Paisiello, or Hummel's mischevious dimension (how can one resist his Andante with variations?).'
Diapason
Recommended: 'Raffaele La Ragione is an outstanding player, who delivers stylish and differentiated performances.'
MusicWeb International