Simple Gifts

From 16th Century Venice to the rolling hills of Bingyol, Intesa explores the many simple gifts in life: the gifts of youth, travel, love, and country. The programme includes pieces by John Dowland, Giulio Caccini, and Marin Marais, as well as a selection of lively and haunting Armenian folk songs, a tribute to Charles Aznavour, and a nod to John Donne’s metaphysical poetry. Intesa celebrates the viola da gamba’s range of possibility, both as an emblem of the cultivated Renaissance and Baroque, and as a natural, guitar-like duo partner to the voice. They marry historical self-accompaniment practices with singer-songwriter-style ease to tell stories that are both exotic and familiar.