Ensemble Caprice

La Follia and the Gypsies

Gypsy Music in the Renaissance and Baroque periods

A unique programme featuring pieces taken from Uhrovska zbierka, a collection from the country now known as Slovakia, and works by composers who were influenced by the gypsy music they heard while travelling throughout Europe. Much baroque music draws its inspiration from the gypsy music that made its way up through social circles as far as the nobility. One example is Telemann’s Polonaises, that reflect his fascination with listening to local folk musicians when he visited Krakow while employed by the Court of Promnitz. Capturing the spirirt of the times, this lively programme will be performed on authentic reproductions of historic instruments, including several sizes of tambourine, instruments that travelled easily with the nomadic gypsy musicians of the period.

Instrumentation: 2 winds (recorders, baroque flutes), cello, baroque guitar, percussions

Salsa Baroque

A new musical world to discover

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the musical dialogue between the Old and the New Worlds produced extraordinary results. This fascinating blend of European polyphony and Latin American traditional music created a unique style that is exemplified by the villancicos of the Bolivian composer Juan de Araujou and the colourful guarachas of his contemporaries. Also included in the programme are sonatas by Locatelli and Falconieri, two European composers who were influenced by this Latin American style. Gems from this spectacular musical era will be performed on instruments that were common at the time: flutes and recorders, baroque guitar, cello and various percussion instruments.

Gloria! Vivaldi’s Angels

Instrumentation: choir of 8 female voices, 10 musicians

During his almost forty years of service at the orphanage Ospedale della Pietà, Vivaldi taught numerous young female students as a vocal teacher. These exceptionally talented young women became a sensation in Italy. Even today, Vivaldi’s scores are a reflection of their amazing virtuosic playing and singing, which inspired his numerous musical flights of fancy. This program Vivaldi and his angels, is comes from 2 Analekta recordings including one which received a JUNO award in 2009.