La Sfera Armoniosa

The Italian collection of songs ‘La Sfera Armoniosa’ was published in 1623 for an aristocratic marriage. The 25 songs were composed by Paolo Quagliati around 1600, a musically turbulent period. ‘To stimulate the senses and to stir the soul of the listener’ - that was the main aim of composers and performers of the time. The songs in the La Sfera Armoniosa collection reveal a great diversity of colours, atmospheres and emotions, which enable them to fulfil this noble aim.

4 instrumentalists, 2 singers

François Couperin Leçons de Ténèbres

The Leçons have as their text the Lamentations of Jeremiah, which require a continuous intensity of deep emotion in the music. Couperin employs all available resources found in the styles of the two musical superpowers, Italy and France, to express these emotions. He alternates extravagant Italian virtuosity with French introvert sadness. Following plainsong usage, Couperin chose to use Hebrew letters (Aleph, Beth...) between the different sections. The letters are set to incredibly beautiful melodies which serve to give some relief from the pent-up emotional tension. After each letter a candle is extinguished so that the concert ends in complete darkness with the Fugue Grave in D-minor by d’Anglebert, "ordinaire de la chambre du roi".

3 instrumentalists, 2 singers

Read more...