“Le Musiche da Camera”, constituted in 1993 by a group of Neapolitan musicians dedicated to the research in the field of ancient music, has focused its activity, since the beginning, on the exploration of inedited works of Neapolitan musicians of XVII and XVIII century, with works which follow the original baroque performing praxis. The members of the ensemble studied at the school for the specialists of baroque and classical performing praxis and they also collaborate with important baroque institutions and ensemble. The basic formation changes according to different necessities of repertory and it has the peculiarity to play typical instruments of Neapolitan context, such as mandolin, “mandolone”, “mandoloncello”, “colascione”, baroque guitar.
The sources at the basis of the ensemble’s work are, in the majority of cases, the original manuscripts and printed material; the work of research, revision and modern transcription is done by Egidio Mastrominico, assisted by Pier Paolo De Martino. The programmes offered are indicative of the research the ensemble has done to present to the audience not a simple florilegium of music, but musical paths with a thematic structure that coherently combines musicologic study with listening enjoyment.

“Le Musiche da Camera” has presented for the first time a modern transcription of the works of composers of the XVIII century such as Emanuele Barbella, Giovanni Paisiello, Nicolò Piccinni, Domenico Sarro, Francesco Feo, Angelo Ragazzi, Nicola Sabatino, Davide Perez, during festivals and musical meetings of international importance (Festival “Grande Musica in Chiesa” – Roma, 9° Festival “Antiqua” – Torino, 51° Ravello Festival, “Todi Festival”, Barocco Festival “Leonardo Leo” – S.Vito Normanni, III Festival di Musica Barocca “Farinelli” – Andria, Festival Musicarchitettura – Gerace, Festival dell’Opera Buffa “Recitarcantando” – Ripatransone, Festival “Musiche nelle Corti” – Matera, II Convegno Internazionale Jommeli e Cimarosa – Aversa, “Musica antica per un nuovo mondo” Concerts for Greenpeace, “I venerdì della musica” and “Melodie all’Archivio di Stato” – IX and X Maggio dei Monumenti Napoli, “Natale della Reggia” and “Festa dell’Arte 2004” Reggia di Caserta – Caserta, “Classica al Chiostro” – Sorrento, “Le Musiche al Chiostro” – Massalubrense, “Concerti d’Autunno” – Napoli). The ensemble has been invited to perform by organizations and associations such as: UNESCO, Regione Campania, Sovrintendenza BAAAS di Caserta, Fondazione Ravello Festival, Accademia del Ricercare, Centro Studi “L.Leo”, “415” Associazione Italiana per la Musica e la Danza Antiche, Ass. Musicale Marchigiana, Teatro Comunale di Viterbo, Unione Musicisti Napoletani, receiveing gratifying appreciation from the audience and the critics (reviews on the newspapers La Repubblica, Il Mattino, Il Tempo, Roma, Contrappunti, Il Giornale di Napoli, Cronache di Napoli).

In collaboration with the association “Area Arte”, which looks after its activity, the ensemble organized in 2001 the concert performances “Convivio Armonico”, now at its fourth edition, at Teatro Sancarluccio, Napoli, and in this context, in the February of the same year, the project “L’intermezzo Ritrovato” was launched, which includes the first modern performance of the intermezzi “Eurilla e Beltramme” by D.Sarro, “Morano e Rosicca” by F.Feo and “Erighetta and Don Chilone” by L.Vinci.

The ensemble carries on its work of divulgation with a number of concerts for the schools in Campania with the support of Assessorato alla Cultura Regione Campania and particularly important was the series of Concerts-Lessons organized with the collaboration of Sovrintendenza per I Beni Ambientali e Architettonici di Napoli at Palazzo Reale di Napoli, with the theme “Musica e musicisti al Palazzo Reale nel Settencento”.

“Le musiche da camera” has recorded the Hamilton - Trios by Emanuele Barbella for the label Tactus, first of a series of CD dedicated to the Neapolitan violinist and composer, realized with the collaboration of Legambiente – Parco Letterario Vesuvio, to which the series of the Intermezzi will alternate.