Loviisa Old Houses / AUF cooperation
Starlit Night
Music by Italian masters
Pandolfi Mealli – Spadi – Kapsberger – Leonarda – Matteis – Rognoni – Bertali
Anna Rainio, violin
Mikko Ikäheimo, lutes and guitar / Anna-Maaria Oramo, harpsichord (31.8.)
The actual golden age of instrumental music began in the early 16th century, as opposed to the past medieval era, where instruments were mostly used to replace or double vocal parts. In the 16th century, instrumental works began to be notated and not only improvised, which created independent instrumental compositions. At this time, the first sheet music collections for only instruments were published. The early 17th century brought many great changes to the world of music. Harmonies were written quickly with numbers (figured bass), and Renaissance polyphony was replaced by monody, in which the harmony, as an independent element, accompanied a monophonic melody. In addition, the early forms of the opera, concerto and sonata originate from the early 17th century. Musicians also began to specialise. When the Renaissance musician had functioned as composer, instrumentalist, singer and conductor, specialisation divided musicians into e.g. soloists and composers. Instrumentalists still sought a singer’s expression, but simultaneously, a specific style of playing and writing for different instruments began to develop gradually.
Although Italy was a politically scattered and fragmented country of principalities and city-states for long, it remained a central musical influence throughout the Baroque era. Wealthy city-states, like Rome, Venice and Milan, competed with each other also in arts and culture, which created high demand for musicians and composers. The Italian style was imitated and copied widely around Europe. The concert program of tonight concentrates on the production of Italian composers from the 17th century. Some of them were extremely productive and famous, others have left behind only a handful of works.
In the early Baroque, the development of new expression and form happened through brave experimentation. Improvisation played a big role in music throughout the Baroque era. Early improvisation, diminution, was taught e.g. in several different guides. In addition to guides, sheet music collections were published, in which the author presented diminutions of well-known pieces as their own works or compositions. The pieces often included both instructions and diminutions of entire compositions. From this program, the diminutions of Spad and Rognon for two madrigals exhibit early virtuosic skills with instruments.
Duration: 1 h (no intermission); in Loviisa, the program takes place in several locations
Timetable in Loviisa on 24th August
At 11 am – 11.15 am: house 2, Kuninkaanlampi (Kuhlefeltinkatu 8)
At 12 pm – 12.15 pm: house 7, Lilla ljuva (Oltermanninkatu 8)
At 1 pm – 1.15 pm: house 17, Pitkänpöydäntalo (Mariankatu 7)
Timetable in Loviisa on 25th August
At 2 pm – 2.15 pm: house 17, Pitkänpöydäntalo (Mariankatu 7)
At 3 pm – 3.15 pm: house 7, Lilla ljuva (Oltermanninkatu 8)
At 4 pm – 4.15 pm: house 2, Kuninkaanlampi (Kuhlefeltinkatu 8)
See more (in Finnish and in Swedish) on the event page for Loviisa Old Houses.
The events in the series Baroque in the Kalasatama Night will be filmed, and the material will be used for marketing and communication in various channels by the city of Helsinki.