Il povero Fiammingo
The vocal ensemble Voces Suaves will be performing madrigals and canzonettas by Renaissance composer Giaches de Wert on its Swiss tour from May 28 to June 1.
The new program by Ensemble Voces Suaves presents some of the most expressive madrigals by Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) in the context of his biography, in particular his relationship with the musician and intellectual Tarquinia Molza (1542-1617). The two met at the Este court in Ferrara, which was characterized by music but also by intrigue, and became close friends and presumably lovers. The program follows their common path, primarily through the madrigals of Wert and his contemporaries, but also through excerpts from historical letters and poems.
Two musical publications of value from the period of his relationship with Molza occupy a special place in the program: the ninth book of madrigals and the volume of canzonettas. These volumes contain madrigals of contrasting characters: beautifully expressive and complex settings of some of the saddest poems from Petrarch's Canzoniere, alongside light, short, playful and witty canzonettas. These contrasting pieces show the depth of de Wert's oeuvre and how his music vividly portrays the full spectrum of human emotions.
