A woman who defied social and cultural norms, gave up the religion of her family and her people, abdicated her throne, moved to Rome (one of only three women buried in the Vatican), and became a patron of philosophers, mathematicians, artists, and musicians (including Stradella, Pasquini, Carissimi, and Corelli).
Meet Queen Christina of Sweden!
Check out this phenomenal performance of the music of Joseph Bologne, le Chevalier de Saint-Georges and Hyacinthe Jadin from my friends in the Cramer Quartet presented by SoHIP!
The text of Rorate caeli is usually associated with the liturgical season of Advent, but this setting by Schütz seemed fitting given all the rain we've had in the Northeast this past week!
Many people know the "Miserere mei" settings of Allegri and Byrd, but how about this gorgeous setting by Jean L'Héritier?
Remember the video on "stretto fuga" from June 14 (how much can a composer do with two intervals)? Here's an entire mass Monteverdi wrote using that idea!
Planning concerts, programming a recital, or just want to explore rep beyond the usual "dead white European men" category? Check out (and use!) this incredible resource including music from ~1700-present!
How much can you really do with two intervals? If you were a Renaissance composer, quite a bit! Early Music Sources explains the stretto fuga with some fantastic examples from Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610!
Bach didn't exist in a vacuum - check out this fantastic performance of Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri from some friends/colleagues in DC!
"Lobet den Herrn" was the first of Bach's motets that I learned (with Dr. Steven Zielke and the OSU Chamber Choir) though 21-year-old me would never have believed it could sound like this!
We've listened to madrigals with bird calls, but Banchieri's “Contrappunto bestiale alla mente” includes a cuckoo, an owl, a cat, and a dog!