Winner of Chorus America/ASCAP Alice Parker Award. Christine Gevert, Founding Artistic Director Concerto delle Donne-Consort of Ladies Revolutionary Italian Vocal Music of the Late Renaissance & Early Baroque Saturday, February 16 at 6 pm Saint James Place, Gt. Barrington, MA Sunday, February 17 at 4 pm Trinity Church, Lakeville, CT Crescendo Inc. PO Box 245, Lakeville, CT 06039 Phone: 860.435.4866 Email: crescendo@worldclassmusic.org Website: www.worldclassmusic.org -1-
Program Luzzasco Luzzaschi (c. 1545 1607) All vocal works by Luzzaschi from Madrigali per cantare, et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani, fatti per la musica del già ser.mo duca Alfonso d'este. Stampati in Roma appresso Simone Verovio 1601. Con licenza de' Superiori. Toccata del 4o tono (published 1625) arranged for theorbo and harpsichord Aura soave (Sweet breeze) for solo soprano and basso continuo Ch io non t ami (Do I not love you) for solo soprano and basso continuo O primavera gioventù de l anno (Oh spring, youth of the year) for solo soprano and basso continuo O dolcezz amarissime d Amore (Oh bitter sweetness of love) for three sopranos and basso continuo Claudio Monteverdi (1567 1643) Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti, SV 251 (Return, O Zephyr, and with gentle motion) for two sopranos and basso continuo. From Scherzi musicali II, 1632, Venice Come dolce oggie l'auretta SV 173 (How sweet the breeze today) for three sopranos and basso continuo From Madrigali e canzonette, Book 9, 1651, Venice - Intermission Luzzasco Luzzaschi Canzon X arranged for theorbo and organ From Canzoni per sonare con ogni sorte di stromenti a quattro, cinque e otto 1608, Venice T amo, mia vita! (I love you, my life!) for three sopranos and basso continuo Cor mio deh non languire. (Oh, heart of mine, do not waste away) for two sopranos and basso continuo Io mi son giovinetta (I am a young girl) for two sopranos and basso continuo Giovanni Pittoni (c.1630-1677) Sonata in E Minor, Op. 2 No. 9 / Grave for theorbo and basso continuo From Intavolatvra di tiorba nella quale si contengono dodeci Sonate da Camera, per Tiorba sola, col Basso per il Clauicembalo di Giovanni Pittoni Ferrarese 1669, Bologna Barbara Strozzi (1619 1677) L eraclito amoroso (The amorous Heraclitus) for solo soprano and basso continuo From Cantate, ariette, e duetti, Op.2, 1651,Venice Amor dormiglione (Sleepy Cupid) for solo soprano and basso continuo From Ariette a voce sola, Op.6, 1657, Venice Giacomo Carissimi (1605 1674) (attributed) Il Ciarlatano (The Charlatan) Cantata for three sopranos and basso continuo -2-
The Performers Soloists Catherine Hancock, Rebecca Palmer, and Jennifer Tyo, sopranos Period Instruments Hideki Yamaya, theorbo & Baroque guitar, and Christine Gevert, harpsichord, organ and direction About this Program INTRODUCTION Carlo Amalfi, Musical gathering Music and Gender by Christine Gevert Music is still a male-dominated industry the female presence in music has a sparse history! Yet nowadays we take for granted that professional female singers perform at the highest level to enrich our lives. And we as classical music lovers could not imagine a musical scene without the extraordinary voices and musical personalities of women like Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Elly Ameling, Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballé, just to name a few of the great ones of the past or Leontyne Price, Emma Kirkby, Renée Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa and Cecilia Bartoli as some of the living soprano stars. But all these women could not delight us today, if it had not been for the vision of a duke in Ferrara, Italy, at the end of the 16 th century. Till then, the role of women in music was not very important at all. And even after the breakthrough of female professional ensembles and performers, the music world was still dominated by male composers and instrumentalists, and even is today. This concert is intended to take us back to the moment when a first breakthrough for women in music happened. We will start the journey by presenting works specially composed for and performed by what was probably the first ensemble of professional female singers: the Concerto delle Donne (composer: Luzzasco Luzzaschi). And we will take you also a bit further into exploring, how other prominent early Baroque composers of the early Baroque, like Claudio Monteverdi and Giacomo Carissimi wrote for one, two or three sopranos. And also on this program is represented also one of the rare and prominent female Baroque composers: Barbara Strozzi. Strozzi was one of the first women to publish music under her own name, and also was hailed as the most prolific composer of printed secular vocal music in 17th century Venice! Even in the 19 th century societal standards and expectations hadn t changed much, leaving us with a void of female composition and artistry in music history. Clara Schumann is one of the few female composers named in the Concise Oxford History of Music. She was quoted as saying this during her lifetime: I once believed that I had creative talent, but I have given up this idea; a woman must not wish to compose there never was one able to do it. Am I to be the one? It would be arrogant to believe that. Today men still hold the most important positions of concert master, principal or associate principal in most the world s top classical orchestras. Which also means that they get paid 69% while women earn 31% of professional musicians fees. [documented in studies of Quartz at Work - a guide to the new global economy for people excited by change.] A 2017 study of the national association Chorus America compares their results with a study conducted in 2005, which already revealed that the pay gap between female and male choral conductors with equal qualifications and work load was close to 30% [the national gender pay gap of 2018 was reported as 22%, while women and men of similar qualifications and jobs showed only a 2% pay gap]. Roland Kushner of Muhlenberg College, who led the study noted that differences in the experiences of female and male conductors have persisted. There is a stark difference between what women and men are experiencing with regard to income and the types of choruses they conduct, notes. The gender gap also applies to popular music. According to The New York Times: In an analysis of the top 600 songs from 2012 to 2017 defined by Billboard s year-end Hot 100 chart for each of those six years the study found that of 1,239 performing artists, only 22.4% of them were women. We hope that this program will inspire women and men alike to hear the female component in music differently. Understanding a bit of the struggle and historical context of female composers and performers, might help us not only to delight in hearing a wonderful soprano aria, but perhaps also in being more conscious of the opportunities we offer and create for female professional musicians. After all wouldn t we want all of our children and grandchildren to live in a world filled with good music? -3-
Excerpts form: The Virtuosi of Ferrara: The Concerto delle Donne 1580-1601 Thesis prepared for the degree Master of Arts Early Music Performance, University of Southern California, 2017 by Paulina Francisco (printed with permission of the author) Ferrara and the Este Court The development and success of Ferrara as a thriving cultural center during the Renaissance is undoubtedly linked to the rise of the Este family. They served as Ferrara s aristocratic leaders, cultural patrons, and infrastructure developers from 1240-1598. Art and music at his court reached the highest levels achieved in Ferrara under Estense patronage of Alfonso II d Este, the last duke of the family. One of Alfonso s heralding achievements as a supporter of music was establishing the Concerto delle Donne, a professional group of female musicians who performed chamber music at the court. Word of their incredible virtuosity and secret repertory spread across Europe through invitation from the Duke and testimony from musicians who heard them. The Concerto delle Donne was surrounded by a large community of esteemed musicians at the court. Several other ensembles performed at Alfonso s court, including a large chapel choir and the Concerto Grande. The latter was an early orchestra with which the Concerto delle Donne occasionally performed. Alfonso served as patron for more than twenty composers. Among the composers and instructors active in Ferrara during his reign were Luzzasco Luzzaschi, Ippolito Fiorini, Lodovico Agostini, Francesco Manera, Alessandro Striggio, and Giaches de Wert. Duke Alfonso also funded several court poets who wrote texts to be set by composers. Probably most notable, Torquato Tasso, served as primary court poet. Giovanni Battista Guarini, Annibale Pocaterra, Orazio Ariosto and Alessandro Guarini also wrote poetry for Alfonso s court. Concerto delle Donne The title Concerto delle Donne refers to the group of female virtuosic singers in Ferrara beginning in 1580 at the court of Alfonso II d Este. This definition is important because there were actually two concerti a group of amateur musicians formed in the late 1570 s and the professional ensemble founded around 1580 after the marriage of Duke Alfonso II and Margherita Gonzaga (as described by Anothony Newcomb in The Madrigal at Ferrara 1978). Isabella Emerson ( Five Centuries of Women Singers 2005) summarized differentiation of the two groups, saying: This kind of consort was not new to Ferrara, but this one [beginning in 1580] was radically different from the older ones, which had consisted of well-trained amateurs of noble status. The singers in this new consort were brought to the court solely because of their ability as musicians, they were expected to perform as salaried employees, and they were paid very well for their work. The establishment of this ensemble created an important distinction between amateur and professional musicians. The terms musica secreta and concerto secreto are important for understanding the nature of the Concerto delle Donne. Musica secreta first appeared in the writing of Orazio Urbani, a Florentine citizen who documented his experiences while visiting Ferrara. The term s twofold meaning refers to both chamber concerts given for a small company and the jealous secrecy with which Duke Alfonso kept their repertoire. Anthony Newcomb clarifies to terms, saying: A concerto secreto is a performing group that performs in a musica secreta. The concerto secreto at Ferrara was usually called the concerto delle donne, or the ladies ensemble, in recognition of the most striking feature of the ensemble its three or four highly skilled female singers. Laura Peverara (1545-1601) is the best known, best documented, and arguably most researched member of the Concerto delle Donne. As Orazio Urbani s letter outlines, Duke Alfonso heard Laura sing during a visit to Mantua and sent for her to come sing at his court in Mantua. Beyond being an extraordinary singer, Laura s legacy in Ferrara is demonstrated in the work of the many composers and poets whom she inspired. Her influence is especially evident from the number of sources that dedicate pieces or entire manuscripts to her. Several publications to honor important Ferrarese figures began to appear in the 1580s, shortly after the foundation of the Concerto delle Donne. The most notable composers of this practice were Luca Marenzio, Giaches de Wert, Carlo Gesualdo, Alessansro Striggo, and Luzzasco Luzzaschi. The second member of the Concerto delle Donne to arrive in Ferrara was Anna Guarini (1563-1598). She was the daughter of Italian poet Giovanni Battista Guarini, author of Il Pastor Fido, and Taddea Bendido, sister of Ferrarese soprano Lucrezia Bendido. She entered the court as a musician in 1580, at age 17, and her first documented performance was shortly after. Livia d Arco (1565-1611), the third primary soprano to join the Concerto delle Donne, arrived in Ferrara in 1579 as part of Margherita Gonzaga s household. Livia was the daughter of a minor Mantuan noble and may have been chosen to accompany Margherita because of her affinity for music. Once in Ferrara, Livia studied viola da gamba with Luzzasco Luzzaschi and later, Tarquinia Molza. Due to her young age of 15, it is likely that she underwent extensive training to reach a level comparable to Peverara and Guarini. The final member of the ensemble, Tarquinia Molza (1542-1617), served as both singer and instructor in the Concerto delle Donne. The subject of recent scholarship, Tarquinia may have been a more astonishing and interesting woman of the Renaissance than her acclaimed ensemble-mate Laura Peverara. Given her position as both a singer and instructor, Tarquinia is arguably the most historically interesting member of the Concerto delle Donne. She accompanied performances on the harpsichord, which was not a typical instrument for women to play at court, and would have been able to instruct Livia d Arco on viol. As an accomplished singer and poet herself, she could serve as both a technical instructor for voice and an artistic coach for the ensemble. Although limited information about these four women individually survives, sources describing them as an ensemble can provide more details about their lives. Several contemporary accounts and modern studies describe their performances, repertoire, and impact on the late madrigal, and the precedent they set for female musicians. -4-
Luzzasco Luzzaschi Luzzasco Luzzaschi served at the Este court in Ferrara from 1564, at age 19, until his death in 1607. Like several of the women from the Concerto delle Donne, information about his life is scarce. Luzzaschi trained in music from a young age with Cipriano de Rore, maestro di cappella at the Este court from 1546 to 1559. Jessie Anne Owens ( Composers at Work ) describes Rore as: one of the most important and celebrated composers of the sixteenth century, a pivotal figure whose innovations in musical style and technique would have ramifications for several decades after his death. Luzzaschi s work with the Concerto delle Donne served as a continuation of Rore s innovation and the preeminent music organization at the Este court. Luzzaschi may have also studied organ with Jacques Brunel, who served in Ferrara from 1547 to 1559. In 1561, Luzzaschi became an organist at the court. He assumed the title first organist upon the death of Brunel in 1564. Luzzaschi served as teacher, coach, accompanist, and primary composer for the Concerto delle Donne. Luzzaschi published hundreds of madrigals; seven books of five-voice madrigals and a single book of madrigals for one, two or three soprani. The latter, likely composed for the Concerto delle Donne, represents only a minute sample of the music composed for the concerto with which he worked so closely. Published in 1601, it is one of few surviving sources of repertory for the ensemble. It is the only source which directly mentions the ensemble and its patrons. There is a large body of virtuosic madrigals from Italian composers around this time, but they are four to eight voice compositions which included male voices as well. The print represents a small sample of the virtuosic music written for Concerto delle Donne at the court of Duke Alfonso II d Este and is likely retrospective to 1580 s Ferrara, the time when the Concerto delle Donne was performing. While the music could have been performed by other ensembles after publication, the Concerto delle Donne was no longer performing in 1601. When Duke Alfonso died in 1597, he had not produced a male heir to continue the Este claim to Ferrara. Ferrara fell to the Papacy, and Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandino was appointed Duke. The dissolution of the Concerto delle Donne actually began before Duke Alfonso s death; Tarquinia Molza was banned from the Este court in 1589 for an alleged affair with composer Giaches d Wert, Anna Guarini was killed by her husband in 1598, and Laura Peverara died in 1601, the same year the print was published. Bernardino Licinio, Woman visited by her lover PROGRAM PIECES, TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Toccata del 4o tono (published 1625) arranged for theorbo and harpsichord Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Aura soave From Madrigali per cantare, et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani, Rome, 1601. Catherine Hancock, solo Soprano Aura soave di segreti accenti Sweet breeze of secret words, Che penetrando per l'orecchie al core which, penetrating through my ears to my heart Svegliasti la dove dormiva Amore woke Love, who was sleeping there: Per te respiro e vivo for you I breathe and live Da che nel petto mio ever since into my bosom Spirasti tu d'amor vital desio you breathed Love's living desire. Vissi di vita privo I lived without life Mentre amorosa cura in me fu spenta while love's caring was exhausted in me. Hor vien che l'alma senta Now come, so that my soul may feel, Virtu di quel tuo spirto gentile thanks to your gentle spirit, Felice vita oltre l'usato stile. life that is happy beyond the usual. John Glenn. Reprinted with permission from the LiederNet Archive. Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Ch io non t ami From Madrigali per cantare, et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani, Rome, 1601. Jennifer Tyo, solo Soprano Ch io non t ami cor mio Do I not love you, my sweetheart, ch io non sia la tua vit e tu la mia, am I not your life, and you mine? che per nuovo desio e per nuova speranza That for a new yearning and for a new hope, io t abbandoni? I abandon you? Prima che questo sia morte non mi perdoni. Before this might happen pardon me not death. Ma se tu sei quel cor onde la vita But if you are the heart m è si dolc e gradita, where life is so sweet and pleasant for me, d ogni mio ben cagion, d ogni desire, in every wish and every desire for me, come posso lassarti e non morire? how could I leave you and not die? -5-
Luzzasco Luzzaschi: O primavera gioventù de l anno From Madrigali per cantare, et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani, Rome, 1601. Rebecca Palmer, solo Soprano O primavera, gioventù de l anno, Oh spring, youth of the year, bella madre de fiori, beautiful mother of the flowers, d erbe novelle e di novelli amori, of the new grasses and of the new loves, tu ben, lasso, ritorni, indeed, now you have returned, ma senza i cari giorni de le speranze mie. but without the sweet days of my hopes. Tu ben sei quella ch eri You are indeed the one who was, pur dianzi, sì vezzosa e bella; so little time ago, so gracious and beautiful; ma non son io quel che già un tempo fui, but I am no longer what I was before, sì caro a gli occhi altrui. so pleasing to the eyes of another. Sandro Boticelli, Primavera (Venus, Charites, Cupid, Mercury, Chloris, Flora) Luzzasco Luzzaschi: O dolcezz amarissime d Amore From Madrigali per cantare, et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani, Rome, 1601 Soprano I: Catherine Hancock, Soprano II: Rebecca Palmer, Soprano III: Jennifer Tyo O dolcezz amarissime d Amore Oh, bitter sweetnesses of love, quest è pur il mio core is this indeed for my heart, quest è pur il mio ben che più languiso is it really for my good that I must waste away. che fa meco il dolor se ne gioisco. What does anguish become, Fuggite Amore amanti, amore amico, if it does not give me pleasure? O che fiero nemico! Flee from Cupid you lovers, that loving friend, All hor che vi lunsiga all hor che ride Oh, what a fierce enemy! Condisce i vostri pianti Whilst he flatters you, whilst he is smiling, con quel velen che dolcemente ancide. he seasons your weeping with venom which sweetly kills. Non credete ai sembianti, Do not trust in his countenance, che par soave et è pungente e crudo, for he seems gentle, but is bitter and cruel, et è men disarmato all hor che è nudo. and is less disarmed whenever he s naked. Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538 1612) -6-
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) It is Monteverdi who stands as the greatest man of [his] epoch, an important link between the old and the new styles of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; for not only did he carry the polyphonic vocal style to great heights, but he also proved himself to be the father of modern dramatic and orchestral music. He is the first composer to whom those whose experience with music has been limited to the 18th and 19th centuries can listen with real pleasure and understanding. His music, in whatever style it is written, was essentially dramatic, romantic and adventurous. Source: Music in History, McKinney & Anderson The son of an apothecary, Monteverdi was born in 1567 in Cremona, Italy, the oldest of five children. His first engagement with music was as a member of a cathedral choir. At age 15 he published his first music a book of motets and sacred madrigals. After studying at the University of Cremona, he played the viol and sang at the court of Vincenzo I of Gonzaga in Mantua, and by 1602 was the court s master of music. A prolific composer, Monteverdi wrote madrigals, masses and other sacred as well as secular music and, like a few composers of the time, experimented with musical dramas his L Orfeo is known now as the first fully developed opera, a revolutionary debut. By his mid-40s he would be the most celebrated composer in Italy. After his wife died, Monteverdi moved to Venice where, for the rest of his life, he served as director of music at San Marco. He became a priest in 1632 and continued to compose until his death in 1643. Source: Wikipedia article on Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Monteverdi: Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti, SV 251 from Scherzi Musicali, 9th Book of Madrigals, Venice,1632 Most of the piece is in the form of a ciaccona or passacaglia, which uses a constantly recurring bass line, and it is the first known example of a vocal duet that uses a ciaccona accompaniment. Although it is sometimes performed in a straight manner, it is most frequently interpreted as a comic parody of madrigals as they had evolved by the early seventeenth century, particularly the mannered conventions of the seconda prattica, in which the musical setting is largely driven by the text, and dissonance is used with extreme freedom as an expressive tool. The poem, a sonnet, is a rhapsodic pastoral ode to Zephyr, the west wind that brings spring and its attendant opportunities for romance, or at least dalliance. Source: All Music Guide Soprano 1: Jennifer Tyo, Soprano 2: Catherine Hancock Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti Return O Zephyr, and with gentle motion l aer fa grato e il pié discioglie a l onde make pleasant the air and scatter the grasses in waves e, mormoranda tra le verdi fronde, and murmuring among the green branches, fa danzar al bel suon su l prato i fiori. make the flowers in the field dance to your sweet sound; Inghirlandato il crin Fillide e Clori crown with a garland the heads of Phylla and Chloris, note temprando lor care e gioconde; with notes tempered by love and joy, e da monti e da valli ime e profond from mountains and valleys high and deep raddoppian l armonia gli antri canori. and sonorous caves that echo in harmony. Sorge più vaga in ciel l aurora, e l sole, The dawn rises eagerly into the heavens and the sun, sparge più luci d or; più puro argento scatters rays of gold, and of the purest silver, fregia di Teti il bel ceruleo manto. like embroidery on the cerulean mantle of Thetis. Sol io, per selve abbandonate e sole, But I, in abandoned forests, am alone. l ardor di due begli occhi e l mio tormento, The ardor of two beautiful eyes is my torment; come vuol mia ventura, hor piango, hor canto. as my fate wills it, now I weep, now I sing. Ottavio Rinuccini (1562 1621) Claudio Monteverdi: Come dolce oggie l'auretta SV 173 From Madrigali e canzonette Book 9, Venice, 1651. Come dolce oggi is the only surviving music from Monteverdi's lost opera, Proserpina rapita (The Rape of Proserpine), composed and produced in Venice in 1630. Proserpina rapita was the first of the theatrical works that Monteverdi wrote specifically for Venice, under a commission from Mocenigo for his daughter Giustiniana's wedding celebrations. The libretto, by Giulio Strozzi, is based on the ancient Greek myth of Pluto and Proserpine. Symbolic rape was a common theme in wedding entertainments designed for Italian courts, intended in Carter's words "both to proclaim the power of love and to set proper bounds on female behavior." Sources: Choral Public Domain Library; Wikipedia article Lost operas by Claudio Monteverdi Soprano 1: Catherine Hancock, Soprano 2: Jennifer Tyo, Soprano 3: Rebecca Palmer Come dolce oggi l auretta How sweet the breeze today, Lusinga spira, spira e vien how soft its balmy breath, A baciarmi lascivetta, how it wants only to kiss me, A baciarmi le guancie l sen. kiss my cheeks and my breast. Gli Amoretti l aura fanno It is Cupid s cause the breeze -7-
Quando l ali spiegan al Ciel Quando vanno, quando vanno Della notte a squarciar il vel. Ride il bosco, brilla il prato. Scherza il fonte, festeggia l mar Quando un fiato, quando un fiato D aura fresca s ode spirar. Entri pur nel nostro petto, O bell aura nel tuo venir Quel diletto, quell diletto Che fa l alme tanto gioir. when they soar in flight on outspread wings from heaven to lift the veil of night. The forest smiles, the meadow shines, the fountain plays, the waves rejoice at the first faint stirring of a cool, refreshing breeze. When you come, O balmy breeze, may our hearts, too, be filled with that sweet delight that you in every soul distill. Giulio Strozzi (1583 1660) - Intermission - Bonifazio de'pitati, Cupid with a violin Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Canzon X arranged for theorbo and organ From Canzoni per sonare con ogni sorte di stromenti a quattro, cinque e otto 1608, Venice Luzzasco Luzzaschi: T amo, mia vita! From Madrigali per cantare, et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani, Rome, 1601. Soprano I: Jennifer Tyo, Soprano II: Catherine Hancock, Soprano III: Rebecca Palmer T amo, mia vita!, la mia cara vita dolcemente mi dice e in questa sola sì soave parola par che trasformi lietament il core per farmene signore. T amo, mia vita! O voce di dolcezza e di diletto! Prendila tost Amore, stampala nel mio petto, spiri solo per lei l anima mia. I love you, my life!, says to me sweetly my beloved life, and through this single sweet word seems to merrily transform the heart to elect me its master. I love you, my life! Ah, voice of sweetness and delight! Catch it quickly, Love, imprint it in my chest, so that my soul may breathe only for her. -8-
Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Cor mio deh non languire From Madrigali per cantare, et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani, Rome, 1601. Soprano I: Catherine Hancock, Soprano II: Rebecca Palmer Cor mio deh, non languire, Oh, heart of mine, do not waste away, che fai teco languir l anima mia. for then my soul languishes with you. Odi i caldi sospiri, Hear the pressing sighs, a te l invia la pietate e l desio. they are sent to you by pity and desire. Mira in questi d amor languidi See how in these languid eyes of love, lumi come il duol si consumi. grief is wasting me away. Se ti potessi dar morendo aita, If, by my expiring, you could be given succor, morrei per darti vita. I would die to give you life. Ma vivi ohimè, ch ingiustamente more but let him live who, alas, unjustly dies chi vivo tien nell altrui petto il core. for having his heart in another s breast. Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Io mi son giovinetta From Madrigali per cantare, et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani, Rome, 1601. Soprano 1: Rebecca Palmer, Soprano 2: Jennifer Tyo Io mi son giovinetta e rido e canto a la stagion novella. Cantava la mia dolce pastorella, Quando l ali il cor mio Spiegò come augellin subitamente, Tutto lieto et ridente Cantava in sua favella: Son giovinetto anch io, E rido e canto a più beata e bella primavera d Amore Che ne begli occhi suoi fiorisce, et ella: Fuggi se saggio sei, disse, l ardore Ch in questi rai Primavera per te non sara mai. I am a young girl, and I laugh and I sing to the new season. My sweet shepherd girl was singing, when all of a sudden my heart sang spreading its wings happily and cheerfully: I too am young, and I laugh and I sing to the blessed and beautiful springtime of love, which blossoms in your beautiful eyes. She replied: Flee, if you are wise, she said, flee from the ardor; flee, for in these rays there will never be spring for you! Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) Giovanni Pittoni (c.1630-1677) Sonata in E Minor, Op. 2 No. 9 / Grave for theorbo and basso continuo. From Intavolatvra di tiorba nella quale si contengono dodeci Sonate da Camera, per Tiorba sola, col Basso per il Clauicembalo di Giovanni Pittoni Ferrarese 1669, Bologna Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) Born in Venice, Barbara was the illegitimate daughter of the renowned poet Giulio Strozzi, and spent her life in very liberal circles within 17th-century Venetian Society. Her father encouraged her talents, arranging performances which would showcase her work and sending her to study composition with Francesco Cavalli. Most of her work is written for accompanied female voice. She was a capable lute player and developed a reputation as one of the best singers of the time for her performances at private concerts around the city. Her music is striking for several reasons. First, and perhaps because of the influence of her poet father, Strozzi took tremendous care taken over the setting of the texts, creating a really intimate relationship between the words and the music. Secondly for her daring use of harmony as an expressive element. Barbara Strozzi was a big name in 17thcentury Italy, hailed as the most prolific composer of printed secular vocal music in Venice. But frankly, it was amazing that she was ever a name in the first place. Most women of the time were obliged to use a male pseudonym in order to get their creative works in print. Not Barbara. She put her own name to everything she wrote, making her one of the first female writers of secular music to publish in this way. And to top it all off, she was also a single mother to three children apparently out of choice rather than necessity, which was virtually unheard of for the time. Some accounts have claimed that she was a courtesan, but this is very unlikely to be true, and the reports are probably spurred on by the most famous portrait of her, in which she appears to have had an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. In reality, the uncovered breast is likely to show her motherhood and her artistic temperament rather than her loose morals! Barbara was a forward-thinking entrepreneurial and independent woman who ingenuity shone through in her life and in her music. Source: classicfm.com/discover-music/barbara-strozzi/ -9-
Barbara Strozzi - L eraclito amoroso From Cantate, ariette, e duetti, Op.2, 1651. Catherine Hancock, solo Soprano Audite amanti la cagione, oh Dio! Listen, lovers, the reason - Oh God! Ch a lagrimar mi porta: Nell'adorato e bello idolo mio. that leads me to weep. In my cherished and beautiful Che si fido credei, la fede è morta. beloved, that I thought so faithful, my faith is dead. Vaghezza ho sol di piangere, mi pasco sol di lagrime, My only pleasure is weeping, I only revel in my tears. Il duolo è mia delizia e son miei gioie i gemiti. Grief is my delight, and wailing is my joy. Ogni martire aggradami, Ogni dolor dilettami, Every torture enchants me, every pain pleases me. I singulti mi sanano, I sospir mi consolano. Sobbing heals me, sighing comforts me. Oh Dio! Nell'adorato e bello idolo mio. Oh God! In my cherished and beautiful beloved, Che si fido credei, la fede è morta. that I thought so faithful, my faith is dead. Ma se la fede negami But, if this inconstant and treacherous lover Quell' incostante e perfido, Almen fede serbatemi denies me his faith, at least, o tears, Sino alla morte, O lagrime! be faithful to me until death. Ogni tristezza assalgami ogni cordoglio eternisi. Every sadness assails me, every sorrow lasts eternally. barbarastrozzi-megan.blogspot.com Barbara Strozzi: Amor dormiglione From Ariette a voce sola, Op.6, 1651. Rebecca Palmer, solo Soprano Amor, non dormir più! Cupid, no more sleeping! Sù, sù, svegliati omai, Up, up, wake up right now, che mentre dormi tu for while you sleep dormon le gioie mie, vegliano i guai. My joys sleep, and my troubles wake. Non esser, Amor, da poco! Don t be useless, Cupid! Strali, strali, foco, Arrows! Arrows! Fire! strali, strali, sù, sù, Arrows! Arrows! Up! Up! foco, foco, sù, sù! Fire! Fire! Get up, get up! O pigro o tardo Sleep no more; get up! tu non hai senso, Oh you idle laggard, you're insensible! Amor melenso, amor codardo! Foolish Cupid, cowardly Cupid, Ahi quale io resto Ah, what can I do? che nel mio ardore tu dormi Amore: In spite of all my ardor you slumber: mancava questo! That s the last thing I need! Cupid detail from Raphael's The Triumph of Galatea Giacomo Carissimi (1605 1674) was one of the greatest Italian composers of the 17th century, chiefly notable for his oratorios and secular cantatas. Following brief appointments at Tivoli and Assisi, Carissimi settled in Rome in the late 1620s as director of music at the German College and its associated Church of Sant Apollinare and retained this post until he died. Although not an operatic composer, Carissimi helped to satisfy the Italians enthusiasm for opera by making its pastoral or dramatic content available in the home and in the church through his numerous oratorios and cantatas. His 16 oratorios on Old Testament subjects were substitute operas that could be performed during Lent, when operas were forbidden. Those episodes in which the narrative is interrupted and the characters express emotions, as in opera, show Carissimi s basic interest and talents. In his cantatas he consolidated the pioneer work of Luigi Rossi, but in oratorio he was himself a pioneer. Carissimi s works are marked by emotional balance and an ideal fusion of the lyrical and the dramatic, and when working on a large scale his pronounced feeling for tonality prevents any tendency to diffuseness. His genius is well displayed in his oratorio Jephtha, lasting about 20 minutes, where both solo narrator and chorus act as commentators and the latter also take the roles of opposing groups in the story. George Frideric Handel expanded this basic scheme in his oratorios. Carissimi greatly influenced later music not only through his compositions but also through his numerous pupils. A renewed interest in the music of Carissimi has resulted in performances of some of his oratorios, including The Judgment of Solomon, Baltazar, and Judicium Extremum. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica article Giacomo Carissimi - 10 -
Nicolas Bonnart, Polichinelle (ca. 1680) Giacomo Carissimi - Il Ciarlatano Following the usual practice for the secular cantatas, Il Ciarlatano in which the subject of love is treated in the Commedia dell Arte (comical/humorous) way the text opens with a narrative setting the scene, and then turns to the protagonists: Sdegno (Contempt) and Amore (Love) competing in expressing their thoughts and emotions. A charlatan was a quack doctor who made elaborate presentations in the street advertising their 'cures', as Sdegno (Contempt) advertises his cure for the wounds of love. Charlatans would often take elements of their presentations from the Commedia troupes, who would steal them right back; both were street theater. Tommaso Maiorini, called Policinella, was a famous medical charlatan from Capua*, who is said to have worn a Pulcinella mask in his street presentations. (Pulcinella was one of the Commedia dell Arte Italian street theater clowns, traditionally Neapolitan since the mask was first popularized by the Neapolitan actor Fiorillo. In addition to pulling teeth and selling 'cures', Maiorini published a treatise in Bologna in 1642 called "Frutti soavi colta nel giardino della virtù, cioè trenta secreti bellisimi, con una regola di sapere tutta il tempo dell'anno." Maiorini acquired a license in Siena in 1663 to sell some of his products. These two dates, 1642 and 1663, mean he was active at the same period as Carissimi. So he could also be the "Capuano" referred to in the text. His treatise and his license place him in Bologna and Siena, and it's hard to get to those places from Capua without going through Rome. Charlatans would often take their shows on the road to find new markets for their "cures" (and to get away from town authorities who threw them out). It's not implausible that he may have visited Rome. Researched and written by Elizabeth Graham. Source: Medical Charlatanism in Early Modern Italy by David Gentilcore Testo (Narrator): Catherine Hancock, Sdegno (Contempt): Jennifer Tyo, Amore (Love): Rebecca Palmer Testo: Poiche lo Sdegno intese ch Amor nume d inganni Narrator: Since Contempt heard that the God Love varie sembianze hà prese per far più fieri danni has taken up many guises of deception to make damages even anch egli accorto e destro di gareggiar stronger, he, also aware and capable of competing, non stanco di gran folli e maestro s è fatto and not tired, became good at it, too, salta in banco. and jumped into the situation. Et eccolo che cinto di gran cerchio d amanti There he is, surrounded by a big circle of lovers, con favellar distinto palesa i proprii vanti. and with distinguished discourse, he reveals his own boasting. Sdegno: Signori, ò là signori, Io son lo Sdegno, io son quel che risano ogni cottura di amorosi ardori e fò prove maggior del Capuano. Evvi alcun che ferito sia da due luci in crudeltà costanti? Hor faccia si avanti e ve lò renderò tosto guarito. Signori, il mio rimedio opra senza dar tedio. Ch in breve à i petti altrui l alme rinnova, mà col mutar dell aria assai più giova. Se per misera sorte si ritrovasse alcun vicino à morte sol per haver gustate gioie, da mille inganni avvelenate, prenda il mio Elletuario nominato lo svario e se non si risana in un istante tenetemi un furfante. Il prezzo che mi viene non son nè cento scudi, né cinquanta, né venti, né quaranta. Udite bene, lo sdegno non vuol al altro che un testone. Diciam compagni in tanto una canzone. Contempt: Gentlemen, hey there gentlemen, I am Contempt, I am the one who restores all burns of amorous ardors, and I prove it more than the Capuano.* If there was anyone wounded by two lights in constant cruelty, may he come forward, I will quickly bring him back to health. Gentlemen, my remedy works without boring you. It quickly renews the soul in other people s bosoms, but a changing of air helps even more. If by miserable luck, someone found himself near death only by having tasted pleasures, poisoned by a thousand deceptions, take my medicine named different, and if he does not get well in one instant, consider me a villain. The fee that I get is not a hundred coins, nor fifty, nor twenty, nor forty. Hear me well: contempt needs nothing besides a stubborn head. Meanwhile, friends, let s have a song. Aria à 3: Amanti che fate, venite, correte, venite s è ver che bramate sanar le ferite le piaghe ch havete. Amanti, correte. Lo Sdegno vi dà rimedio perfetto Che sana ogni affetto ch in seno vi sta. Ma se voi non volete ogn opra è vana. Chi non dice da ver non si risana. Aria à 3: Lovers rise, come, run, come if it is true that you want to heal the wounds you have. Lovers, run. Contempt gives you perfect remedy, that cures any feeling in your chest. But if you do not wish it, then any effort is in vain. He who lies, does not heal. - 11 -
Amore: Scostatevi dal Cerchio anime oscure, petti vili, insensati et otiosi! E accostatevi pure spirit pellegrini e generosi. Non tardate ch ho fretta di gir da un poverino che per gelosa furia freme, piange, s adira e prega e ingiuria e delirando ogn hor fà l indovino. Dò gl antidoti miei con la ricetta che si riduce a poco: Chi vuol guarir non stia vicino al foco. Il primo che s appressa a farmi honore vedrà s io son verace e liberale. L altr hier sanai col mio rimedio un tale ch have l alma abbruggiata e guasto il core. Signori, io mi protesto, tempo verrà ch havermi non potrete e all hor mi cercarete. Provedetevi tutti presto, che dà si fiera arsura non è sesso n età che sia sicura. Love: Move away from the circle, dark souls, you vile, insensitive and inactive hearts! Come closer, please, adventurous and generous spirits. Don t delay, because I must hurry to a poor person who, because of jealousy, trembles, cries, gets mad, and pleads, and swears, and while raving, he tries to look for answers. I supply the antidotes with a recipe that is really simple: He who wants to get well must keep far away from the fire. The first one who wants to give me the honor, will see that I am true and spontaneous. The other day, with my remedy, I cured a certain person whose soul was burned, and the heart broken. Gentlemen, I insist that the time will come that you will not be able to have me, and then you will look for me. Quickly take care, all of you, because there is no age nor gender that is safe from such fiery burning. Aria à 2: O quanti sono Amanti, e non lo credono si alla fè. Quando rimedio al mal ahi più non v è. E all hora languendo, pregando, piangendo, in van soccorso chiedono. Aria à 2: Oh how may lovers there are, and they have lost their faith in love. When there is no more remedy to their suffering, then, languishing, praying, crying, they ask in vain for rescue. Sdegno: Signori, chi si fà vero devoto della libertà, pregolo in cortesia con gentil metro, tirisi un passo indietro. Avvertite o Signori, non lasciarvi ingannare da un tal detto martello, figlio di quella strega gelosia, che si vanta tal hora d sanare co suoi falsi remedi e questo, e quello, ma con più rei dolori li riduce a languir peggio che pria. Contempt: Gentlemen, whosoever becomes a true devotee of freedom, I ask him courteously, with a gentle meter to step back. Be warned gentlemen, don t let yourself be deceived by a hammer like the aforesaid, son of that witch, jealousy, who boasts sometimes to cure with his false remedies this or that person, but with worse guilty pains he reduces them to languish worse than before. Amore: Io vendo il vero, il buono, l esquisito rimedio. E questi sono li privileggi e le patenti in stesse che per molte, da ognun vedute prove. A me dè già la maestà del Sole, madama serenissima la Luna, e il Tempo protomedico. Concesse leggierle può chi risaper le vuole che s io qui le narassi ad una una vi mancherebbe il di. Ma dite pur se Giove sempre vi porga aita? Arianna tradita chi fù altro che io, che la guarì. Amanti hora m acchetto, eccovi il mio secreto ve l offro in dono e chi non vuol pigliare non si puote forzare. Ma quando poi tra smanie, e tra folie, spasmi, angoscie, languori et agonie non troverà rimedio ai dolor suoi. Di sè stesso si doglia, e non d altrui. Love: I sell the true, the good, the exquisite remedy. And these are the privileges and the patents. The patents themselves, for many give proof of working. To me is already given the majesty of the Sun, and her serene mistress the Moon, and the cure-all Time. Whoever wants to know them again, because, if I were to describe each (proof), one by one, here, a day would be lost. Go ahead and say if Zues always gives you help. Who else but I cured the betrayed Ariadne. Lovers, now I ll be quiet, [but] here is my secret: I offer it to you as a gift, and he who does not want to take it, it cannot be forced upon them. But then amid the manias, with follies, spasms, anguishes, languor and agony, he will not find a remedy for his pains. He and not others are to blame for his sorrow. Aria à 3: Donna crudel non vedrai più no languire, penare, morire per te, perchè lo sdegno ci risanò Credevi tu che l amorosi guai non finissero mai. Hor piglia su. Viva lo Sdegno e sua virtù! Aria à 3: Never again will you see a cruel woman, languish, suffer, or die for you, because Contempt has healed us. You thought that love s woes would never end. Now pick yourself up. Long live Contempt and its virtue! Paul De Angelis and Randy Orzano The End - 12 -
About the Performers British-American soprano Catherine Hancock has established herself as a versatile artist, equally comfortable in multiple genres and styles ranging from Renaissance music to opera and performance art. She recently gained attention for her debut with Toledo Opera as Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro). Recent career highlights include performances at BAM, MoMA, Alice Tully Hall, and with The Mark Morris Dance Group, Sandcastle New Music Collective presented by Metropolis Ensemble, New York Festival of Song (NYFOS), The Glimmerglass Festival and the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. She made her European debut singing Valletto (L inoronazione di Poppea) at the Snape Malting Proms as a Britten-Pears young artist. Sought after for her interpretations of early and contemporary repertoire, she is dedicated to working with composers and has premiered dozens of new works. And, on the other end of the spectrum, she is passionate about performing unknown 17th-century repertoire and specializes in British lute songs. She is a founding member of The Moirae Ensemble, a chamber music group that connects classical music and social responsibility through commissioning young composers. She is a member of the early music ensemble Anglica Antiqua, a group which presents 17th century historical performance in conjunction with poetry and theater. Catherine holds both a Bachelor and Master of Music from The Juilliard School and a Professional Studies Degree from Mannes, The New School for Music. Rebecca Palmer, soprano, completed her studies at San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Bachelor of Music) and The Boston Conservatory (Master of Music). Rebecca is a member of the ensemble, Cracow Singers. Their recent projects include a series of concerts to honor composer Krzystof Penderecki with Sinfonietta Cracovia and the Hover Chamber Choir of Armenia, performances at the historic prison Nowym Wisniczu and Bach's St. John Passion in Krosno, Poland. She also sang with the ensemble on their tours in France (Chaource Organ Festival), Armenia, and Hungary. In Krakow, Rebecca was a featured soloist at the annual Film Music FestivalScoring for Polish Composers concerts. She performed the music of composer Jan Kaczmarek at ICE Krakow Congress Center, where she previously appeared with Aga Zaryan and Beethoven Academy Orchestra. In early 2017, Rebecca toured southern Italy with pianist Giuseppina Gallozzi. In the United States her portrayal of Pamina (Mozart- Die Zauberflöte) with Connecticut Lyric Opera was met with acclaim. "Rebecca Palmer was refulgent as Pamina, especially in Ach ich fühl's." -Connecticut Summer Opera Foundation. Her singing has been described as having, "impeccable technical aptitude complemented by smooth and mature tone...[rebecca Palmer] displayed a level of communication unparalleled among her fellow soloists." -The Boston Musical Intelligencer. As of 2013, she divides her time between Europe and America. She has lived in Germany, Italy, England and is currently a resident of Krakow, Poland. Soprano Jennifer Tyo sings throughout New England as a soloist, professional chorister and church musician. Appearances include performances with Arcadia Players, Hampshire Choral Society, Greater Westfield Choral Association, Quabbin Valley Pro Musica, Keene Chorale, and Novi Cantori. She has also been a featured artist in both The Brick Church Music Series in Old Deerfield, MA and the Chamber Music at Wistariahurst Series in Holyoke, MA. A performer who enjoys new music as well as old, Ms. Tyo was involved in both workshop performances and the fully staged world premieres of composer Eric Sawyer's operas Our American Cousin and The Garden of Martyrs at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA. Jennifer attended the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, CT where she studied early music and vocal performance. Jennifer returns as soloist for Crescendo s Early music performances for several years. - 13 -
Hideki Yamaya, theorbo, is a performer of lutes, early guitars, and early mandolins based in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Born in Tokyo, Japan, he spent most of his career in the West Coast before settling in New Haven, where he is a freelance performer and teacher. He has a B.A. in Music and an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studied with Robert Strizich, and an M.F.A. in Guitar and Lute Performance from University of California, Irvine, where he studied with John Schneiderman. He also studied with James Tyler at University of Southern California and with Paul Beier at Accademia Internazionale della Musica in Milan, Italy. In demand both as a soloist and as a continuo/chamber player, Hideki has performed with and for Portland Baroque Orchestra, Portland Opera, Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Opera, California Bach Society, Oregon Bach Festival, Astoria Music Festival, Music of the Baroque, and Shakespeare s Globe Theatre. He is one half of the Schneiderman-Yamaya Duo and is the artistic director for Musica Maestrale, an early music collective based in Portland. He is an internationally acclaimed musician and has performed in Canada, Japan, Great Britain, Germany, and Italy. Christine Gevert has performed and conducted Early Music widely in Europe and South America, and recorded for Carpe Diem and Alerce labels. Ms. Gevert has led master classes and workshops in early music, harpsichord, and baroque vocal technique at music festivals in Germany, Chile and the U.S., and has taught historic keyboards at the Berlin Church Music School in Germany, and locally at Bard College at Simon s Rock. Ms. Gevert has appeared at the Washington Early Music Festival, the Berkshire Choral Festival, the Fringe concerts of the Boston Early Music Festival, and the Amherst Early Music Festival. In recent years she has given solo harpsichord recitals at the Early Music Festival in Narol, Poland, at the historic Auditorium Wanda Landowska near Paris, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Beat Festival. In 2016 she played organ solo recitals at the International Festival of American Renaissance & Baroque Music at the Chiquitan Missions in Santa Cruz and the Eastern Lowlands, Bolivia. Recently she performed organ solo recitals and presented lectures on vocal Renaissance polyphony at the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. She has authored and published more than eighty historical basso continuo realizations with the Swiss music publisher, Amadeus Verlag. The founder and artistic director of Crescendo and her own baroque ensemble Les Inégales, Christine is currently music director at Trinity Episcopal Church, Lime Rock, CT. Ms. Gevert holds a master s degree in organ and early music performance from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hamburg, Germany. After earning a bachelor s degree in music theory from the Universidad de Chile, she studied choral and orchestral conducting in Berlin and harpsichord in London. Title page of Luzzaschi's 1601 publication Madrigali Copyright Crescendo 2019-14 -