{"id":3612,"date":"2024-01-31T11:57:03","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T11:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/?p=3612"},"modified":"2024-06-26T12:38:13","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T12:38:13","slug":"voces-suaves-programmes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/31\/voces-suaves-programmes\/","title":{"rendered":"Voces Suaves"},"content":{"rendered":"

SECULAR MUSIC<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nMonteverdi\u2019s Muse<\/strong><\/p>\n

The programme is dedicated to the musical relationship between the great Claudio Monteverdi and the singer Caterina Martinelli, who was his prot\u00e9g\u00e9e and muse until her untimely death. It follows Caterina\u2019s extraordinary and tragic life, and includes two of Monteverdi\u2019s most moving madrigal cycles, both strongly connected with her: \u201cLamento d\u2019Arianna\u201d and \u201cLa Sestina\u201d, the latter composed in her memory.<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\n10 musicians (7 singers, theorbo, viol, harp)<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMigrating Madrigals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you think of the madrigal as an exclusively Italian genre? Think again! In this programme, ensemble Voces Suaves explores the migration of the madrigal genre across the Alps. It presents some of the most beautiful and entertaining madrigals from Renaissance Germany and England, alongside their Italian sources of influence, by composers such as Luca Marenzio, John Dowland, Heinrich Sch\u00fctz and Thomas Morley.<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\n8 musicians (7 singers, 1 theorbo)<\/em><\/p>\n

\nThe Revolutionary Monteverdi<\/strong><\/p>\n

The madrigals of Claudio Monteverdi show the incredible transformation of music around 1600, of which Monteverdi was the main protagonist. Like Beethoven 200 years later, Monteverdi stretched both the form and the content of musical genres and brought about a new musical period, that we now call the Baroque. The programme follows this historic shift in musical practice by presenting some of the most beautiful madrigals of Monteverdi, from his second book of madrigals (1590) to his eighth (1638), in which Monteverdi calls upon an instrumental ensemble and intertwines long solo passages with powerful tutti sections.
\nWith this selection of madrigals, spanning virtually the entire career of Monteverdi, Voces Suaves presents a musical monograph of a true revolutionary.<\/p>\n

Collaboration with Capricornus Consort Basel<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\n11 musicians (6 singers, 2 violins, theorbo, viol, organ)<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\u2003
\nVersi d\u2019Amore<\/strong><\/p>\n

For this programme, Voces Suaves delves into the extraordinary yet unknown oeuvre of Giaches de Wert (1535 \u2013 1596), who perfected the genre of the Italian madrigal and was Monteverdi\u2019s colleague and role model. The programme concentrates on Wert\u2019s late madrigals, especially on his highly expressive settings of sonnets from Petrarch\u2019s \u201cIl Canzoniere\u201d and combines them with his playful canzonettas, including some in French and Spanish. This programme was recorded for the Arcana label, and was enthusiastically received, winning the Diapason D\u2019Or as well as further distinctions.<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\n9 musicians (7 singers, theorbo, baroque guitar)<\/em><\/p>\n

\nFrom England with Love<\/strong><\/p>\n

This intimate programme focuses on two great English composers: Thomas Weelkes and William Byrd, who both died in 1623. The expressive and varied music of Weelkes is very rarely performed today, while Byrd is mostly known for his instrumental and sacred music. Ensemble Voces Suaves explores the rich heritage of their secular music: Byrd\u2019s delightful consort songs and Weelkes\u2019 chromatic madrigals, alongside music by two of their finest contemporaries from the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras: John Wilbye and John Dowland.<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\n6 musicians (5 singers, 1 lute)<\/em><\/p>\n

\nLa Divina Commedia<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ensemble Voces Suaves invites the audience to a a musical and spiritual journey in the three realms of the afterlife described in Dante Aligheri\u2019s Divina Commedia. The programme, originally conceived for the 700th anniversary of Dante\u2019s death, combines secular and sacred works. It includes rarely performed Renaissance settings of Dante\u2019s verses alongside 20th-century works by contemporary composer Joanne Metcalf and sacred works by Gesualdo and Monteverdi, which capture the fleeting nature of human existence.<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\n8 musicians (7 singers, organ)<\/em><\/p>\n

SACRED MUSIC<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jephte and other Sacred Stories<\/strong><\/p>\n

This programme takes the audience to Baroque Rome, where Giacomo Carissimi revolutionized the genre of the oratorio. The central piece is Carissimi\u2019s heart-breaking Oratorio \u201cJephte\u201d, which tells the biblical story of Jephtha\u2019s daughter, sacrificed by her father. This condensed masterpiece is complemented by other highly expressive works by Carissimi and his Roman contemporaries, such as the unique Domenico Mazzocchi and his astoundingly chromatic description of the Virgin Mary searching for her child.<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\nVersion 1: 9 musicians (6 singers, theorbo, viol, organ) <\/em>
\nVersion 2: 11 musicians (2 additional violins)<\/em><\/p>\n

\nMusikalische Exequien<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heinrich Sch\u00fctz composed the Exequien for the funeral ceremonies of Heinrich II Posthumus Reu\u00df zu Gera, who had personally chosen the verses to be included in the work. It is, in fact, the first German Requiem\u201d, a true and sincere expression of devotion. This masterpiece is complemented by other compositions commissioned for funerals, by composers such as Johann Hermann Schein and Johann Rosenm\u00fcller.<\/p>\n

A highly acclaimed recording of this programme was released on the label Arcana (2021). The programme was performed internationally, including in the church in Gera where the funeral of Heinrich II took place.<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\n15 musicians (12 singers, theorbo, viol, organ)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Israelsbr\u00fcnnlein<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIsraelsbr\u00fcnnlein\u201d (The fountain of Israel) by Johann Hermann Schein is a groundbreaking collection of biblical motets written in the expressive style of the madrigal, bringing together the best of both Italian and German musical heritages. The programme was conceived around the 400th anniversary of this publication in 2023. To celebrate this occasion, Voces Suaves dives into Schein\u2019s fountain and presents a multi-faceted selection from this unique collection, which is both virtuosic and highly emotive.<\/p>\n

Distribution <\/em>
\n8 musicians (5 singers, theorbo, viol, organ)<\/em><\/p>\n

\nEs ist ein Ros\u2019 entsprungen<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this programme, ensemble Voces Suaves weaves a musical garland for Christmas, with works by Italian and German composers of the 16th and 17th centuries. The programme includes festive double choir music by Venetian masters such as Baldassare Donato and Giovanni Gabrieli, alongside music by their more famous German contemporaries Michael Praetorius and Heinrich Sch\u00fctz. Intertwined between them are simple sacred songs with beautiful Renaissance harmonizations, which evoke the special atmosphere of the holiday: both grand and intimate.<\/p>\n

Distribution <\/em>
\n13 musicians (8 singers, 5 instrumentalists) <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stabat Mater Dolorosa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Domenico Scarlatti’s \u201cStabat Mater\u201d is a unique setting of the famous sequence, describing the agony of Mary upon the death of her son. Featuring a rare distribution of ten solo voices and basso continuo, it was composed while Scarlatti was maestro di cappella at St Peter\u2019s in Rome. In this programme, Voces Suaves combines Scarlatti\u2019s moving masterpiece with other sacred works from Rome, including the famous Miserere by Gregorio Allegri and Antonio Lotti\u2019s Crucifixus.<\/p>\n

Distribution<\/em>
\n13 musicians (10 singers, organ, theorbo, viol)<\/em><\/p>\n

\nHymns to Mary: Melani and Steffani<\/strong><\/p>\n

Voces Suaves and the award-winning harpsichordist and conductor Francesco Corti invite the public to discover the Marian hymns by Alessandro Melani, an important Roman composer who is virtually unknown today. These wonderful Baroque hymns are all centered around the many-faceted figure of the Virgin Mary, in her agony and glory. The programme also includes rarely performed settings of Marian hymns by Melani\u2019s more famous contemporaries: the Stabat Mater for 6 voices by Agostino Steffani and a Magnificat by Alessandro Scarlatti.<\/p>\n

Distribution <\/em>
\n18 musicians (10 singers, 8 instrumentalists)<\/em><\/p>\n

\nA Nun\u2019s Vespro<\/strong><\/p>\n

Voces Suaves presents a rarely performed Vespro della Beata Vergine by Margarita Chiara Cozzolani. The composer, singer and abbess Cozzolani was active in Milan in the 17th century, and was greatly admired for her musical abilities. The intensive musical activity in her abbey was highly appreciated by the listeners but also strongly criticized by conservative clergy men.
\nCozzolani\u2019s 1650 publication, Salmi a otto voci, includes vivid and virtuosic 8-voices settings of all the Vespres Psalms, as well as intimate motets for smaller distributions. Together they open a window on the colourful, lively and expressive music which women composed and performed in baroque Italy.<\/p>\n

Distribution <\/em>
\n16 musicians (8 singers, 8 instrumentalists)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SECULAR MUSIC Monteverdi\u2019s Muse The programme is dedicated to the musical relationship between the great Claudio Monteverdi and the singer Caterina Martinelli, who was his prot\u00e9g\u00e9e and muse until her untimely death. It follows Caterina\u2019s extraordinary and tragic life, and includes two of Monteverdi\u2019s most moving madrigal cycles, both strongly connected with her: \u201cLamento d\u2019Arianna\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ensembles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3612"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3613,"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3612\/revisions\/3613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.albagorka.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}