Melodies of Desire, Despair and Devotion

Anna Stegmann director

Clara Hubbard, Rowena Jones and Anna Williams recorder
Sophia Mücke violin
Tess Roberts viol
Theodore Nisbett viol/tenor
Mihails Pranovičs harpsichord

TROMBONCINO Zephyro spira e 'l bel tempo rimena 
CARA Per dolor mi bagno il viso 
CAPRIOLI Sotto un verde e alto cupresso 
GOMBERT Dezilde al cavaler que non se quelle  
CABEZÓN Diferencias sobre el canto llano del caballero 
DE RORE with diminutions by Girolamo dalla Casa Anchor che col partire 
DE RORE with diminutions by Giovanni Bassano Anchor che col partire  
GOMBERT Mort et fortune  
PALESTRINA with diminutions by Francesco Rognoni Pulchra es amica mea   
SANDRIN with diminutions by Anna Stegmann after Sylvestro Ganassi Doulce Memoire
CERTON Fini le bien (Reponce de “Doulce Memoire”) 
WILLAERT Vecchi Letrose   
TROMBONCINO with diminutions by Rowena Jones Ostinato vo' seguire 

Inspired by Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego’s vision of instruments as living voices, this programme explores the art of diminution in 16th-century Venice, where instrumental music was understood as a form of expressive speech. 

Vocal music by Bartolomeo Tromboncino, Marchetto Cara, Nicolas Gombert and Adrian Willaert is reimagined through improvised ornamentation, allowing the instruments to breathe, persuade and speak like the human voice.