Bernard Chasan wrote:

>Recently I heard a cello concerto on the radio (wgbh) by a Baroque
>Neopolitan composer named Leo [...] Does anyone know something
>about this Leo fellow?

Mimi and Richard have given some biographical background on Leo.  I have
some info on recordings.  The CD that Bernard heard was on the Canadian
label Atma, and is really a 1997 re-issue of a Collegium release from 1986.
The recordings were made in Toronto in October 1984 and March 1985.  The
disc contains five cello concertos and a sinfonia concertante for cello and
strings.  All works are circa late 1730s or early 1740s.  As you can see,
the disc is very well-filled.

    2 Cello Concertos in A Major
    Cello Concerto in D Major
    Cello Concerto in D minor
    Cello Concerto in F minor
    Sinfonia Concertata for Cello & Strings in C minor
      Anner Bylsma, Cello
      Tafelmusik/Jeanne Lamon
       Atma ACD22126  DDD  1997  79:31

For those who are not sated with nearly 80 minutes of gorgeous Italian
Baroque cello concertos, there are at least three other recordings I have
with works by the Lionman.

    Flute Concertos #1 & 2 in G Major
      Massimo Mercelli, Flute
      Benedetto Marcello Chamber Orchestra of Teramo/Elisabetta Maschio
       Bongiovanni GB5541-2  DDD  1994  60:10

    Concerto for Strings in D Major
      Musica Antiqua Koln/Reinhard Goebel
        Archiv 435393-2  DDD  1991  65:38

    Harpsichord Concerto in D minor
      Gerald Hambitzer, Harpsichord
      Concerto Koln
       Capriccio 10378  DDD  1993 64:39

I see that there are at least two other recordings of one or more of the
cello concertos, one of which includes the concerto for 4 violins (Arts,
currently OOP) and another has Julius Berger playing all six concertos with
the Southwest German Chamber Orchestra (EBS), as well as some organ music
and vocal works on three or four additional discs.  The "must have" disc
is definitely the Bylsma recording.

Dave
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