Josquin – origin, youth and musical roots

With compositions by Jean Mouton, Antoine Brumel, Johannes Ockeghem and Josquin des Préz, amarcord presents a rich spectrum of Flemish music of the Renaissance era. The programme ends with the impressive lament Josquin des Préz wrote in 1497 on the death of Johannes Ockeghem.


“Hear the voice“ - Sacred and secular vocal music of the English Renaissance era

Elizabethan times led to an unprecedented flourishing of music in England. Composers such as Thomas Tallis or William Byrd established standards, which could only be equalled by Benjamin Britten in the 20th century. In the first part of this concert you will hear motets by Tallis and Byrd. The second part includes madrigals by Dowland, Morley, Henry VIII and many others.


Faith and Power – musical liturgy in central Germany around 1530
   
amarcord reconstructs a musical liturgy how it could have been sung on a Pentecost Sunday in the 1530s in the region of Saxony. Composer’s names like de la Rue, Morales or Josquin, as well as pieces of uncertain provenance will take the listener into one of the richest eras of occidental music history. The programme was first performed at the Second Saxon State Exhibition National Exhibition „Saxony in the Europe of the Reformation Era“ in October 2004.


SLOW LISTENING

amarcord and the musicologist Dr. Clemens Goldberg present new ways of listening to Early Music. In times of fast food and superficial events, the musicians emphasise concentrated hearing. Musicologist and singers explore the fascinating variety of musical development of vocal music between 1200 and 1600 concentrating on the French chanson „De plus en plus“ and a mass by Ockeghem based on this tune.

If an audience listens to Renaissance pieces one after the other without comment, without the knowledge of the musical and historical context, often even without understanding the correct meaning of the text, it may hear only hear an empty sound. With its revolutionary new concept, SLOW LISTENING wants to break with this superficial approach.

With a strong dramaturgy of the concert and by the use of texts and pictures of the time, the way of listening is gradually changed. Thus the approach to the music becomes much more natural and the personal impression much more intensive.


“Un Giorno del Rinascimento“ – Madrigals, Chansons and Songs of the Renaissance from all over Europe
Works by Lasso, Dowland, Josquin, Gesualdo, Hassler, Encina and others. On request with Michael Metzler, specialist for historical percussion instruments.


Leipzig – City of Music
Leipzig is famous for its great musical tradition. Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann are only a small choice of names closely connected to the history of the city. Apart from music of the Baroque and the romantic era, the programme also includes songs by the legendary Comedian Harmonists whose unforgettable breakthrough took place in Leipzig.


Vive la France – Vocal music from France
Works by Jehan Ockeghem, Francis Poulenc, Gioacchino Rossini, Jean Cras, Camille Saint-Saënts and others.

And so it goes
Folksongs from all over the world (for instance from Norway, Cuba, Southeast Asia) and a-cappella arrangements from Ray Charles to Billy Joel.


The Singing Club
Entertaining travel thorugh vocal music of five centuries.


In Cooperation with Ensemble „Alte Musik Dresden“:

A protestant Vesper
Psalm settings and sacred concertos by Heinrich Schütz.

Lamentatio
„Musikalischen Exequien“ by Heinrich Schütz and further funeral music by German composers like J.H. Schein and C. Demantius.

Details and further programmes on demand (info@rmm-leipzig.de)