Music Fit for the Medicis
Music Fit for the Medicis
About the Concert
The 15th-century Italian banker Cosimo de’ Medici is known for establishing his family in the world of finance, but he also he collected and preserved music by the best Florentine composers of the previous decades, including Francesco Landini, Jacopo da Bologna, and Lorenzo da Firenze.
We will draw from Medici music collections which include lively music for dancing, gorgeous and complex polyphony, and songs with lyrics by Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio.
This performance by singers and medieval strings, harp, lute, and percussion, and organetto together with Shawn Keener’s graphics and supertitle translations will evoke the rich tapestry of life at the Medici court.
General Admission $50
Performance dates
February
18, 19, 20, 2022
Fri., Feb. 18, 2022 8:00 PM
St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Old Town
1633 North Cleveland Avenue, Chicago, IL
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Sat., Feb. 19, 2022 8:00 PM
International House
University of Chicago
1414 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL
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Sun., Feb. 20, 2022 3:00 PM
Galvin Recital Hall
Bienen School of Music
Northwestern University
70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL
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ARTISTS
David Douglass, director and medieval strings
Allison Monroe, medieval strings and harp
Catalina Vicens*, organetto
Mark Rimple, lute, psaltery and citole
Danny Mallon, percussion
Salomé Sandoval, soprano and citole
Ellen Hargis, director and soprano
Matthew Dean, tenor
Shawn Keener, projection design
*Ms. Vicens’ participation is contingent upon the U.S. State Department policies on international travel.
Meet the Artists
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Four Queens and a Joker
APRIL 22, 23, 24, 2022
Games and cards were all the rage in the 17th and 18th centuries, and we present two pieces for four sopranos depicting lively matches! We’ll perform a comic intermezzo by 17th century composer Virgilio Mazzocchi depicting the hunting game of “La Civetta”, or the Little Owl.
This piece has long languished in obscurity, and we are collaborating with Italian scholar Aldo Roma to recreate the game on stage for you from his recent research.
We’ll also perform the 18th century Caldara cantata “Il Giuoco del Quadriglio”, or The Game of Quadrille. Ironically, Caldara was addicted to cards and left his widow in poverty because of his gaming debts! Full of snark, sass, and sarcasm, the text is set to gorgeous music with arias for sopranos with obbligato violin, recorder, and two mandolins. Singers will dance, the director will play, and our chamber orchestra will join in the fun. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see these pieces staged.
General Admission $50
Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière
DATES, TIMES AND LOCATIONS
Fri., Apr. 22, 2022 8:00 PM
Hairpin Arts Center
Logan Square
2810 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL
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Sat., Apr. 23, 2022 8:00 PM
International House
University of Chicago
1414 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL
PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THIS CONCERT
Sun., Apr. 24, 2022 3:00 PM
Galvin Recital Hall
Bienen School of Music
Northwestern University
70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL
PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THIS CONCERT
ARTISTS
Ellen Hargis, soprano and director
Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, dancer and staging director
Lucía Mier y Terán Romero, soprano
Salomé Sandoval, soprano
Allison Selby Cook, mezzo-soprano
Allison Monroe, violin
Brandi Berry Benson, violin
David Douglass, viola, director
Jeremy David Ward, bass violin
Charles Metz, harpsichord
Claire Happel Ashe, triple harp
Brandon Acker, mandolin, theorbo and guitar
Daniel Swenberg, mandolin, theorbo
Shawn Keener, projection design