programme
among others, Girolamo Bargagli (1537-1586) La Pellegrina
performers
Cappella Amsterdam
Voces Suaves
Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra
Skip Sempé conductor
Zsuzsi Tóth soprano
Valerio Contaldo tenor
background
Anyone studying the history of Italy cannot overlook the powerful Medici family. With their luxurious court in Florence, this banking family stood at the heart of musical practice for centuries. With the opulent La Pellegrina (1589), we invite you, together with the Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra, to witness the birth of opera: Florence 1589, the wedding celebration of Grand Duke Ferdinando de’ Medici and Princess Christine of Lorraine. For this occasion, the leading court composers wrote their most inventive theater music.
During the play La Pellegrina, intermedi — musical interludes—astound the wedding guests. The alternation between theater and virtuosic music is unprecedented and inspires the creation of an entirely new genre: opera. Immerse yourself in this celebration at a key moment in music history.
Conductor Skip Sempé delves into the exuberant score with singers, soloists, and a genuine Renaissance orchestra, exploring all corners of the musical spectrum, from solo monody to thirty-part counterpoint.