Hear the sounds of Renaissance Italy (approx. 16-18th C.) in works by vocalist/composer Majel Connery, trumpeter Frank London, violist/composer Jocelyn Pook, and by trumpeter Ben Neill.
From Ben Neill, listen to portions of his multimedia piece, Fantini Futuro for mutantrumpet, (his self-designed electro-acoustic instrument), countertenor, Baroque keyboards, and interactive video projections. The piece is an “electronic opera” based on the life and work of the groundbreaking 17th century Italian trumpeter and composer Girolamo Fantini, who brought the trumpet indoors from the hunt and the battlefield to the realm of art music.
Also, hear music by 16th century composer, murderer, and Prince of Venosa, Carlo Gesualdo in music inspired by Gesualdo’s “harmonically advanced” spicy chromaticism by Estonian composer Erkki Sven Tüür from a recent record, simply called “Gesualdo,” after the double-murderer prince.
Then, listen to selections from the song cycle, Orphea, a Baroque-rock retelling of Monteverdi's opera, L'Orfeo, from Eurydice's perspective - by vocalist/composer Majel Connery, who tours her own music as “electro-art-dream-pop with repressed classical influences.” Also, hear music by trumpeter Frank London inspired by the Jewish quarter in Venice, where some of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice takes place. Plus there’s music from a soundtrack to the Merchant of Venice by Jocelyn Pook, with countertenor Andreas Scholl, and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4681, Inspired by Renaissance Italy (First aired 11/07/2022)
ARTIST: Wendy Carlos
WORK: Monteverdi: Domine ad Adjuvandum [1:22]
RECORDING: The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
SOURCE: East Side Digital -ESD 81612
INFO: wendycarlos.com
ARTIST: Ben Neill, Ryland Angel, Gwendolyn Toth
WORK: Ben Neill: Fantini Futuro, excerpts [15:24]
RECORDING: This performance not commercially available.
SOURCE/INFO: www.benneill.com
ARTIST: Majel Connery
WORK: Of Music [2:54]
RECORDING: Orphea
SOURCE/INFO: majelconnery.bandcamp.com/album/orphea
ARTIST: Majel Connery
WORK: Eurydice's Lament [3:20]
RECORDING: Orphea
SOURCE/INFO: majelconnery.bandcamp.com/album/orphea
ARTIST: Frank London, with Cantor Svetlana ‘Sveta’ Kundish, tenor Karim Sulayman
WORK: Maoz Tsur [3:51]
RECORDING: Ghetto Songs
SOURCE: Felmay Records
INFO: felmayrecordsfranklondonghettosongs.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Andreas Scholl, Baroque String Quartet
WORK: How Sweet the Moonlight [4:14]
RECORDING: Jocelyn Pook: Merchant of Venice
SOURCE: Decca #475 6367
INFO: Out of print.
ARTIST: Clogs
WORK: Kapsberger [1:57]
RECORDING: Lantern
SOURCE: Brassland
INFO: brassland.org
ARTIST: Rolf Lislevand
WORK: Kapsberger/arr. Lislevand: Arpeggiata Addio [7:10]
RECORDING: Nuove Musiche
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Tallinn Chamber Orchestra/ Tonu Kaljuste
WORK: Erkki Sven Tuur: Psalmody [4:24]
RECORDING: Gesualdo
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: ecmrecords.com