Renaissance-jazz (jazz 500 years ago)
The programme contains the brightest concert numbers of the past years: songs and dances of the Renaissance — the era of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, Ronsard and Shakespeare, Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei… Period instruments — zink, viola da braccio, lute, sackbut — create a special atmosphere, transferring listeners from the hustle and bustle of the modern city into the space of castles and cathedrals. Merry chaconas, thoughtful passacaglias and passionate folias give the musicians an opportunity to demonstrate their imagination and virtuosity, and listeners to enjoy the birth of music here and now. An interesting addition are several compositions from classical and popular music in the Renaissance style. With this programme, the ensemble performed in the “Quartet 4×4” project on Culture TV channel (2018) and participated in the “La Cl? des Portes” music festival in France (2019).
The ensemble plays in gorgeous historical costumes made by the artist Darina Velikanova on the Renaissance paintings.
Duration: 45-55 min
Number of performers: 4-6
Marco Polo’s Music Travel
The programme includes medieval music of Italy, Croatia, Persia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, China and other Eurasian lands, supplemented with portions of video showing 13th-14th centuries miniatures. will become familiar with such rare instruments as organetto, zink, shawm, karnai, cornemuse, Chinese flute bavu, crumhorns, darbouka, daff, tar, bendir, rikk, tamorra…
Duration: 50 min
Number of performers: 3
L’orgue des troubadours
Chants of crusades, pastourelles, lais, virelais, ballate, laude, cantigas…
Ivan VELIKANOV (artistic director of the Alta Capella ensemble) will perform in old French fascinating songs of medieval troubadours and trouvers accompanying on the organ portative (organetto) — an instrument now forgotten, but very common in the Middle Ages. The programme includes popular secular music of Western Europe: the works of Richard the Lion Hearted and Thibault de Champagne, the last trouver Guillaume de Machaut, blind organist Francesco Landini…
Duration: 40-55 min
Number of performers: 1-2
Music for wind instruments: from Middle Ages till Baroque
Lecture-concert by Ivan Velikanov and the Alta Capella ensemble
The programme gives a rare opportunity to get acquainted with the aspects of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and early Baroque musical culture which are not well-known to the general public: early wind instruments, their evolution and repertoire. Playing zink (cornet), sackbuts (early trombones), shawm (precursor of oboe), dulcian (precursor of bassoon), organ-positive and other forgotten or absolutely changed instruments is supplemented with portions of video showing them in old miniatures, frescos and engravings. Diving into historical instruments’ sounding the audience will make an imaginary travel to the world of medieval knighthood, feel the space of the Venice Gothic churches, become aware of the enthusiasm of Reformation, attend the court of queen Elizabeth I of England…
Duration: 50-55 min
Number of performers: 6
Venice 100 years before Vivaldi
Venice was one of the most important music centres of old Europe: just here first printed musical books were produced, the first opera theatre was opened, here virtuosic instrumentalmusic appeared…
The programme represents all main musical genres (both instrumental and vocal) which were current in the city at the beginning of 17th century. These are chamber sonatas and canzonas, sacred arias, virtuosic diminutions (variations) on popular songs of previous epoch; pieces by Claudio Monteverdi, Giovanni Gabrieli, Heinrich Sch?tz, Biagio Marini, Dario Castello, etc.
Duration: 70-75 min (break is desirable)
Number of performers: 5
In Castle and on Square
Performance of the Troubadours and Knights Epoch
Popular 13th-16th centuries secular music: compositions of Thibaut IV de Champagne, King of Navarre; last trouv?re Guillaume de Machaut; blind organist Francesco Landini; Henry VIII, King of England; anonymous authors. The programme displays wide and various palette of “cheerful” early music genres.
Please contact artistic director Ivan Velikanov and manager Julia Pushkina.