Strozz-ulana!

Diapente & Apocryphonia Present - Stozz-ulana!

Monday, May 27th - 7:00pm

Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave.

Join Diapente as we delve into the magnificent madrigals of two musical superstars of the Renaissance and Baroque eras: Barbara Strozzi and Maddalena Casulana!

Maddalena Casulana, whose 1568 book of madrigals was the first published book of music written by a European woman. Her music was admired by the likes of Princess Isabella de'Medici - her patron, and other composer of the time such as Orlando Lassus and Philippe de Monte.

Although many of her works have been lost to time, 17 madrigals were re-discovered in 2022. Diapente and Apocryphonia will present some of these lost pieces to you for the first time in over 400 years!

Barbara Strozzi, born in Venice but known across Europe for her abilities as composer and singer. Unlike most composers of her era, her compositional output is almost entirely secular madrigals and she was not sponsored financially by the church or a single noble house. Despite that, she is known as "the most prolific composer – man or woman – of printed secular vocal music in Venice in the middle of the [17th] century."

You will see why she earned that reputation firsthand on May 27th at Strozz-ulana!

Diapente…

From Ancient Greek:  διά (diá, “through, across”) + πέντε (pénte, “five”).

Formed in 2022 in Toronto, Canada, the Diapente Renaissance Vocal Quintet specializes in the beautiful, wonderful, rare and unique vocal music of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Combining solo and ensemble musicianship, bold unpretentious enthusiasm, and scholarly historical approaches to interpretation, Diapente brings the music of old to new audiences. 

The quintet’s goals include both welcoming those new to Early Music to the world of madrigals, motets, and monodies, as well as introducing lesser-known and rare works to the genre’s veteran fans. Alongside time-honoured classics by the likes of Byrd, Morley, or Monteverdi, Diapente’s repertoire highlights rare and often unrecorded works by composers such as Scipione Lacorcia, Vicente Lusitano, and Richard Pygott. 

Their 2023-24 season features the ‘Diapente Book of Carols’, ‘Rossi of Mantua: the Songs of Salamone’, and Strozz-ulana!: a double-bill of the music of Barbara Strozzi and Maddalena Casulana.

The quintet consists of (Left to Right): Peter Koniers (countertenor), Jonathan Stuchbery (tenor & lutenist), Jane Fingler (soprano), Alexander Cappellazzo (tenor), and Martin Gomes bass).

Apocryphonia goes beyond the known and the popular in classical music to reveal the beautiful, the lost, and the rare. The name is derived from the two words:

Apocryphus: 'secret, or non-canonical', from the Greek adjective ἀπόκρυφος (apokryphos), 'obscure'. The word apocrypha originally meant a text too sacred and secret to be in everyone's hands.

-phone: from Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ) 'sound'

Apocryphonia's aim is to seek out and share the hidden and the obscure; whether it be music from composers you may never have heard of, or rare works by well known names.

Apocryphonia’s founder, Alexander Cappellazzo always felt as though the classical music that inspired him to become a musician was not the classical music that was regularly being performed and taught. Apocryphonia brings local musicians and audiences together and gives them the opportunity to hear and perform works that are rarely performed in ways that highlight their unique qualities; introducing a new favourite piece, or new favourite composer. 

In a generally orthodox atmosphere of concert programmation, Apocryphonia shows may be the only time you’ll get to hear some of these pieces live in concert!