ITALIA!

With their ITALIA! program the ensemble Due sopra il Basso pays homage to the music of the early Baroque Italian masters, capable of reaching a wide audience thanks to its simplicity and astonishing freshness, unencumbered despite its considerable distance in time.

The god Cupid is addressed in a variety of songs, including villanelles, arias and canto in the “Stile Recitativo”. Cupid’s generosity is praised, his unfairness is lamented, but eventually those suffering from love often end up smiling at him themselves.

Solos and duets are framed by instrumental pieces which, just like their vocal counterparts, are characterized by their sublime simplicity. Early 17th-Century Italy was all about devoting one’s musical skills to the expression of the human soul and its emotions.

Works by Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger (1580-1651), Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), Giulio Romano Caccini (1551-1618) and Tarquinio Merula (1595-1665)