festivalprogram - Stockholm Early Music Festival

Söndag 10 juni • Sunday 10. June Söndag 10 juni • Sunday 10. June
användes som utgångspunkt för sk diminutioner. Ursprungsmelodin
utsmyckas på ett omsorgsfullt sätt och förvandlas till en
uttrycksfull och virtuos instrumental del. Eftersom dessa stycken
saknar specifik instrumentation utforskar La Folata dessa diminutioner
med sin utökade besättning. Efter 500 år ger La Folata
nytt liv åt dessa musikaliska skatter. De senmedeltida italienska
manuskripten är sällsynta klenoder, som blottlägger musik med
en exotisk och fascinerande mångfald. De är trolleriböcker som
än idag utgör en outtömlig källa av fantasifullhet och virtuositet.
Efter en text av © La Folata
Music from the Italian trecento
Music from the end of medieval times is generally considered to be vocal
music par excellence. Among the works by the most famous composers of
that time – like Landini, Machaut or Jacopo da Bologna – only vocal pieces
have been preserved. However there are many signs to indicate the existence
of a complete subaltern instrumental culture, which besides from
having it’s own independent life, also complemented the vocal polyphony.
The program presented here consists both of vocal music elaborated with
instruments and of purely instrumental music preserved from 14th century
Italy, the so-called trecento. The vocal music of trecento masters such
as Jacopo and Landini can be found in manuscripts such as Panciatici
26 and the luxuriously illuminated Squarcialuppi codex while London
Manuscript (Lo 29987) and Faenza Codex (Fa 117) are generally considered
the most important sources for instrumental music of that time.
Landini, el miracoloso Cieco (blind person) degli Organi, is one of the
most famous and prolific composers of the trecento. In accordance with his
humanist orientation
he composed
only profane music
on Italian texts.
Beautiful examples
of these texts are
Divennon gli occhi
and La dolce vista
che dagli ochi in
which Landini refers
to his blindness
caused by childhood
smallpox. London
Manuscript is an
extensive anthology
of Italian, mainly
la folata, foto: susanne janssens
secular music. An
important part of
this codex is dedicated to the Istampitte, the Italian estampies. The Istampitte
collected in London Manuscript are monodical (one-part), instrumental
compositions. However comparison with other existing estampies,
and various other indications have lead to a hypothesis that polyphonic
versions of the estampies in London existed, but that unfortunately only
the melody was preserved.
In the performance of this program the hypothesis of polyphonic estampies
is pursued. According to simple counterpoint rules, which can be
found in many theoretical treatises of the 14th century (as the famous
Lucidarium of Marchetto da Padova), a three-part polyphony was reconstructed
for Isabella. La Folata added two parts, a tenor and a countertenor
voice. The different instruments use these parts as a basis for
improvisation. Each instrument adds in an idiomatic way harmonic,
melodic or rhythmical elements. Another source used for this program, is
the Faenza Codex (Fa 117). This manuscript yields one of the most important
collections of late medieval instrumental music preserved until
today and contains about fifty instrumental compositions, based on vocal
works. The profane models were the “tophits” of the Italian and French
14th century: works by Guillaume de Machaut, Francesco Landini,
Zacara da Teramo and other highly respected masters from that time.
This exquisite 14th century music outlines a repertory that in the early
15th century was used as a basis for “diminutions”: the original melody
is ornamented exhaustively and changed into a rhetoric and virtuoso
instrumental part. As no instrumentation is specified for these musical
pieces, La Folata explores the diminutions with her extensive instrumen-
tarium. A profound knowledge of the grammar of late-medieval music
allows the ensemble to express itself freely in this musical language and
to add elements like self-composed counterparts and improvisation to
the exquisite diminutions. 500 years later, La Folata brings new life to
these musical treasures. The late-medieval Italian manuscripts are rare
jewels that reveal music of an exotic and intriguing complexity. They are
conjuring-books that in medieval times – and even still today - serve as
an inexhaustible source of fantasy and virtuosity.
La Folata
olalla alemàn, sopran • soprano
katelijne lanneau, blockflöjter • recorders
thomas baeté, fiddla • fiddle
wim maeseele, luta • lute
david catalunya, clavesimbalum & orgel • organ
From a text by © La Folata
den medeltida avant-garden
Vid medeltidens slut, en tid av upplysning, frigörelse och humanism,
skapades utrymme för en ny musikalisk form. Med nybyggda
katedraler att framföra verk i utvecklades å ena sidan, i
samklang med den tidens litteratur, dolce stil nuovo och å andra
sidan den överväldigande färgrika gotiska stilen. Denna medeltida
avant-gardemusik innesluts i ensemblen La Folatas repertoar. Fulla
av kreativitet vill ensemblen föra den nutida publiken in i denna
mycket speciella period av den europeiska musikhistorien. För
detta framförande av Ars Nova och Ars Subtilior krävs mycket efterforskningar.
Trots intensiv musikhistorisk forskning de senaste
50 åren saknas ändå mer detaljerad information om denna periods
musikaliska framföranden. La Folata låter sig dock inte hindras av
detta faktum utan låter fantasi och kreativitet överbrygga de luckor
som finns. Med stor stilsäkerhet rekonstrueras partier som saknas.
Denna kombination av kreativ interpretation och musikhistorisk
forskning gör La Folata tolkningar till unika konsertupplevelser.
De senaste åren har ensemblen framgångsrikt medverkat i flera
av de mest prestigefyllda festivalerna i Europa som t ex Brügge,
Antwerpen, Utrecht och Girona. Konserter med ensemblen sänds
regelbundet i de europeiska klassiska radiokanalerna.
Efter en text av © La Folata
Music of the medieval avant­garde
The end of the dark ages saw a changing climate, a time of enlightenment,
humanism, cathedrals and emancipated nobles. This changing
climate evolved a new musical repertoire that touched on one hand
the subtle dolce stil nuovo in the literature of the time and on the other
hand the overwhelming flamboyant gothic style. The music from this
age of the “medieval avant-garde” embodies the specific repertoire of
the ensemble La Folata. In a creative, vivid and moving manner the
ensemble approaches this repertoire, introduces it to the contemporary
public and pays hommage to one of the most extraordinary periods of
European musical culture. The performance of the Ars Nova and Ars
Subtilior music demands a great deal of investigation. Despite the
musicological efforts of the last fifty years, there is an lack of specific
information about musical performance in this period. La Folata
however does not conceive this as restrictive, but on the contrary the
lack of concrete information leaves space for the creative fantasy of
today’s performers. La Folata edits and arranges all its repertoire in
a very specific and style-conscious way: from interesting and colourful
instrumentations to reconstructions or even compositions of undocumented
parts. This combination of musicological research and
interpretative creativity makes La Folata’s performances unique.
During recent years La Folata have established a highly successful
musical career: The ensemble has performed in several of the most
prestigious early music festivals of Europe (Bruges, Antwerp, Utrecht,
Barcelona, Girona, Brezice...). Concerts by the ensemble are regularly
broadcasted on classical radio stations throughout Europe.
From a text by © La Folata
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