Revolutionary Renaissance—Motets and Madrigals

This program features motets by the Portuguese composer Vicente Lusitano, one of the earliest known mixed-race composers of African descent, whose works were published in his lifetime. Lusitano’s style resembles Josquin des Prez’, and is highly complex and of extraordinary beauty.

We still know very little about female composers of those times, as it was stigmatized for women to perform in public, or be known as composers. We present sacred and secular vocal and instrumental works by Maddalena Casulana (Madrigali 1570), Raffaella Aleotti (Sacrae cantiones, Venice 1593), Isabella de’ Medici, Lucia Quinciani, Paola Massarenghi, and Claudia Francesca Rusca (Sacri Concerti), an Italian nun composer, singer, and organist.

Crescendo Vocal Ensemble of twenty singers with soprano soloists Jennifer Tyo & Sarah Fay, alto soloist Laura Evans, and tenor soloist Igor Ferreira are joined by Christa Patton, harp and recorder. Christine Gevert directs from the organ.

NOTE: Crescendo offers an online pre-concert talk at 2pm on February 23 about the March 2nd concert with two women who are both experts in the field, scholars (musicologists) and performers: Dr. Laurie Stras from Southampton, UK, and Dr. Karen Cook from Hartford, CT. This is an hour-long Zoom talk about the life, predicament, and circumstances of the Italian women (featured in the March 2nd concert) who were the first ones in publishing, and performing their music! Information here.