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LA DOLCE VITA THE ARCHDUKE’S CONSORT Fiona Stuart-Wilson soprano Lars Falkebäck lute Tamara Heideveld harp Niklas Enevold viola da gamba Ninna nanna alla Napoletana Anonymous 16th century Amarylli mia bella Giulio Caccini 1551-1618 Si dolce è’l tormento Claudio Monteverdi 1567-1643 Toccata no.2 Michelagnolo Galileo 1575-1631 El me tira notte di Tarquinio Merula 1594-1665 L’amante segreto Barbara Strozzi 1619-1677 Augellin Stefano Landi c1586-1639 Ciaccona di Paradiso e dell'Inferno Francesco Ratis 1600-1676 Interval La bella noeva Ostinato Piangono al pianger mio Anonymous Bartolomeo Tromboncino c1470-c1535 Sigismondo d’India 1582-1629 Foll’e ben si che crede Tarquinio Merula 1594-1665 L’amante felice Giovanni Stefani active 1618-1626 Sona’a battenti Anonymous Programme notes This programme, entitled La Dolce Vita, celebrates the pleasures, the pains and the passions of life, emotions as vivid today as they were in the Italy of three, four or even five centuries ago when this music was first performed for its original audiences. During this period improvisation was usual. Songs were performed as intrumental pieces with whatever musical forces were available, or sung as solos or part-songs and ornamentation added at will. Much of tonight’s programme has been arranged by members of the Consort, often from a single vocal line and basso continuo. We do not claim authenticity in our performance but we aim to be true to the spirit of the music and the poetry it so often enhances. The background to this music, and the lives of its composers, are as interesting as the music and the notes below are intended to give an idea of the setting against which this music was composed. We hope you will enjoy this musical celebration of the pleasures of life - welcome to Italy, welcome to La Dolce Vita! Ninna nanna alla Napoletana Anonymous 16th century A lullaby sung by the Virgin Mary to the Christ child in her arms. This song was probably once part of a mystery play; it tells of the destiny of the child and his death on the cross. Amarylli mia bella Giulio Caccini 1551-1618 This is the most famous of Caccini’s songs from his collection Le Nuove Musiche published in Florence in 1602. The song concludes with the lover declaring that his beloved’s name, Amarylli, is to be found written on his heart. Si dolce è’l tormento Claudio Monteverdi 1567-1643 Monteverdi worked for the court of Mantua first as a singer and violist, then as music director. This setting of Carlo Milanuzzi's text is a solo madrigal about the sweet pains of love and appeared in the composer’s fourth Scherzo delle ariose vaghezze, published in Venice in 1624. Toccata no.2 Michelagnolo Galileo 1575-1631 Michelagnolo Galilei was the son of the renowned lutenist Vincenzo and younger brother of the famous astronomer Galileo. Born in Florence, he worked as a lutenist and composer mainly in Poland and Bavaria where his compositions were much in demand. This Toccata comes from Il primo libro d'intavolatura di liuto (Munich, 1620). El me tira notte di Tarquinio Merula 1594-1665 Merula was another Italian musician who migrated to Poland to work in 1621,where he became organist at the court of Sigismund III Vasa. Inspired by the music of his great compatriot, Monteverdi, he became one of the most progressive Italian composers of his day. This song about the painful effects of Cupid’s arrows is from his Curtio precipitato et altri capricii (1638). L’amante segreto Barbara Strozzi 1619-1677 Born in Venice, Barbara Strozzi was a gifted singer and studied composition with Francesco Cavalli. She is unique among both male and female composers for publishing her works in singlecomposer volumes, rather than in collections, and was said to be the most prolific composer of printed secular vocal music in Venice in the middle of the 17th century. This song about a lover who dare not reveal their love is from her Cantate, Arietti et Duetti of 1651 dedicated to Ferdinand III, the Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna. Augellin Stefano Landi c1586-1639 Landi spent much of his musical career in his home city of Rome under successive patrons. An organist and singer he was also a prolific composer of sacred and secular music as well as opera. This song about a lover who enlists the help of a little bird in pursuit of his beloved is from his first book of Arie for voice and basso continuo of 1620. Ciaccona di Paradiso e dell'Inferno Francesco Ratis 1600-1676 This dramatic dialogue between those living in heaven and those in hell comparing conditions - the weather is definitely better in heaven! - was published in 1677 in Milan as part of the collection Canzonette Spirituali e Morali for the Oratory of Chiavenna in Italian-speaking Switzerland. It was written by the somewhat obscure Italian priest, organist, and composer Francesco Ratis. INTERVAL La bella noeva Anonymous In this lovely traditional song from Liguria, the lover brings to the beloved what hopefully will be received as good news, a proposal of marriage. Ostinato Bartolomeo Tromboncino c1470-c1535 The colourful Tromboncino - so named because he was indeed a trombonist - was born in Verona, but spent much of his early life in Mantua (which he had to flee several times for various crimes, most notably the murder of his wife whom he discovered with her lover). In later years he worked for Isabella d’Este and also wrote the music for the wedding of Lucrezia Borgia, before moving to Venice for his final years. He wrote many light frottole and this one sung by a lover who obstinately pursues his noble quest is taken from Book 9 of his Arie per Canto e Liuto of 1509 . Piangono al pianger mio Sigismondo d’India 1582-1629 Sigismondo d’India was probably born in Palermo but his working life was spent in the main courts of northern and central Italy - Mantua, Florence and Rome - where he absorbed many different musical styles. The famous singer, Caccini, is know to have performed his songs. This song comes from Le musiche da cantar solo, Milan 1609. The poem is by Ottavio Rinuccini and describes the whole of nature weeping with the sad, lonely lover. Foll’e ben si che crede Tarquinio Merula 1594-1665 In this song, dating from 1637, the lover avows that they will not be deflected from loyalty to their beloved and looks forward to their eventual reward. L’amante felice Giovanni Stefani active 1618-1626 Little is known of the composer and editor Stefani but we do know that he was active in Venice in the early 17th century. This light-hearted song, describing l’amante felice, the happy lover, is from his Affetti amorosi, published in Venice in 1618, and is typical of his appealing and popular style. Sona’a battenti Anonymous The concert ends with a lively tarantella from Ischitella, a small town in the Apulia region of southern Italy on the Adriatic coast. Please refrain from using cameras, video cameras and other recording devices during this concert. Please make sure your mobile phone is switched off. For further information on The Archduke’s Consort: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArchdukesConsort/ Website: http://www.thearchdukesconsort.com Email: [email protected] Programme notes by Fiona Stuart-Wilson © Fiona Stuart-Wilson, 2015