Mirabilia

La Vaghezza
Mayah Kadish, Ignacio Ramal violins
Anastasia Baraviera cello
Gianluca Geremia theorbo
Marco Crosetto harpsichord and organ

Mirabilia

The 17th century in Italy was a period of explosive change in the field of music. This shift is evident in the treatises and correspondence from that time, showcasing the enthusiasm with which new ideas were shared. These ideas, emerging from small groups of what we would now call experimental composers, broke down previously rigid boundaries and quickly established new foundations for musical expression.

Behind these emerging compositional styles lay the desire for emotions to be more vividly and understandably communicated in music, and this programme mixes pieces that take different approaches to this. Some works draw inspiration from vocal music influenced by meditation, employing slow sounds and developing interesting harmonies. Others embrace the rhythmic and improvisational qualities of dance, clearly inspired by folk music.

Additionally, a third approach is explored that arose in the mid-1600s, which was the composition of musical “oddities” – this style, known as ‘stylus phantasticus,’ was an attempt to write music that was almost formless, and kept an improvisational feel.