Capella Groningen conducted by Merlijn Wackers

Featuring:

• Nicholas Emmerson – cornett
• Esther van der Veen – shawm and dulcian
• Alexandra Mikheeva – slide trumpet and trombone

The summer concert of Capella Groningen takes you to early Renaissance Florence: the era of Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangelo. In this vibrant city, music played a vital role during public festivities. During Carnival, masked singers dressed as craftsmen roamed the streets, singing canti carnascialeschi: humorous, often double-entendre songs about the trades they portrayed.

Around May 1st, during the spring festival Calendimaggio, songs about youth, spring, and love filled the air. The feast day of St. John, the city's patron saint, was also celebrated exuberantly with processions of floats depicting scenes from antiquity and mythology. These too were accompanied by songs known as trionfi.

This tradition reached its peak during the time of Lorenzo de' Medici. He personally wrote lyrics for carnival songs and trionfi, encouraging poets and nobles in his circle to do the same. Composers from Florence and beyond set these texts to music, while the finest artists and craftsmen designed the costumes and sets.

Capella Groningen performs a colorful selection of this festive music in collaboration with three wind players on historical instruments typical of the street music of that era: the cornett, slide trumpet, trombone, shawm, and dulcian. The unique sound of these instruments will perfectly bring the spirit of the spring festivals and Carnival to life.

With their clear phrasing and strong emphasis on text, these Florentine festive songs are often seen as precursors to the Italian madrigal. These compositions, mostly passed down anonymously, hold a special place in music history. However, despite their attractive melodies and infectious rhythms, they are rarely performed today. Capella Groningen felt it was high time to change that.

Following the concert, the annual "Summer in Zeerijp" buffet will be served.

Ticket sales via: www.capellagroningen.nl