Vesuvius Ensemble joins Tafelmusik Oct. 11 to 14 for Bella Napoli Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Directed by Jeanne Lamon Francesco Pellegrino, tenor & chitarra battente Marco Cera, baroque guitar, mandolino & ciaramella Lucas Harris, baroque guitar & theorbo with Ben Grossman, baroque guitar, saz & percussion
Toronto, September 11, 2012 … Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra is joined by Vesuvius Ensemble, Canada’s premiere professional ensemble specializing in the traditional music of southern Italy, from October 11 to 14 at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre for Bella Napoli. This unique and vibrant series of concerts celebrates the musical richness — classical and traditional — of Naples and southern Italy, and marks Tafelmusik’s first collaboration with an ensemble of this kind. Vesuvius Ensemble is composed of Francesco Pellegrino (tenor & chitarra battente), and Tafelmusik members Marco Cera (baroque guitar, mandolino and ciaramella) and Lucas Harris, (baroque guitar & theorbo). They are joined by Ben Grossman (baroque guitar, saz & percussion). Concert times, full programme details and ticket information are listed below, or visit www.tafelmusik.org.
Despite earthquakes, war, pestilence and the occasional eruption of Mount Vesuvius, baroque Naples could boast a superb music scene. Bella Napoli celebrates that vibrancy by recreating a musical snapshot of a day in the life of baroque Naples. Two contrasting types of music share the programme: the classical repertoire of the royal court, and the traditional music heard on the street. Refined concertos and sonatas by Leonardo Leo, Alessandro Scarlatti and Francesco Durante rub shoulders with effervescent tarantellas, earthy street songs sung in various regional dialects, and arias from comic operas. The traditional segment of the programme opens with a fronna — an improvised and highly ornamented vocal lament often heard in processions and funerals in rural areas of southern Italy — sung a cappella by Pellegrino.
Vesuvius Ensemble’s repertoire consists of songs from the Italian countryside which are performed in dialect and have been passed on over centuries. They are accompanied by baroque continuo instruments (baroque guitars, chitarrone) in combination with rustic string, percussion, and wind instruments typical of the region: chitarra battente, colascione, tammorra, and ciaramella - a sort of early oboe played by Italian shepherds at Christmas. A classically trained tenor, the ensemble’s leader Francesco Pellegrino also possesses rare first-hand experience with the traditional folk music of southern Italy, and formed Vesuvius Ensemble as a North American vehicle for its performance and preservation.
Francesco Pellegrino has been a celebrated singer of traditional and classical Neapolitan music since his childhood. Formal studies at the Benevento Conservatory, L’Accademia di Canto Verdiano di Bussetto (Parma) and L’Accademia Chigiana di Musica (Siena) led to a career on the opera stage. He sang in the chorus of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala from 1997–2001, and has interpreted the roles of Cavaradossi (Tosca), Pinkerton (Madame Butterfly), Il Duca (Rigoletto) and Alfredo (Traviata). On the concert stage he has performed sacred works by Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Verdi and Bruckner.
Dates + Times + Venue: Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor Street West Thurs Oct 11, Fri Oct 12, Sat Oct 13 at 8pm, Sun Oct 14 at 3:30pm
Ticket Prices Regular: $36 - $85 65+: $29 - $77 Ages 35 & Under: $15 - $77
Box Office: Trinity-St.Paul’s Centre: 416.964.6337| www.tafelmusik.org
Website: www.tafelmusik.org / www.facebook.com/tafelmusik.org
Bella Napoli — full programme: Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725) Concerto grosso no. 5 in D Minor Improvised Fronna Traditional (Salento, Apulia) Pizzica tarantata Traditional (Procida, Campania) Madonna delle grazie Leonardo Leo (1694–1744) Concerto for cello in A Major, Christina Mahler, violoncello Traditional (Apulia) Tu bella Leonardo Vinci (1696–1730) “Vorria addeventare surecillo” from Li zite ‘n galera Traditional (Campania) Lu Guarracino Traditional (Campania) Vulumbrella Gian Carlo Cailò (1659–1722) Sonata for 3 violins & continuo Traditional (Apulia) Soni a battenti Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736) Sinfonia & Aria “Chi disse ca la femmena,” from Lo frate ‘nnamorato Francesco Durante (1684-1755) Concerto grosso no. 5 in A Major Athanasius Kircher/Anon Tarantella medley Traditional (Apulia) La Pizzica di San Vito dei Normanni
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Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, led by Music Director Jeanne Lamon and founded in 1979, is one of the world’s leading period performance ensembles. The orchestra performs over 50 concerts a year at home in Toronto, tours extensively around the world, has released over 78 CDs and has received nine JUNO Awards and a Grammy Award nomination. Tafelmusik Media, the choir and orchestra’s multi-platform recording label, was launched in January 2012. Tafelmusik is the Baroque Orchestra-in-Residence at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto and operates its annual Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. The Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, under the direction of Ivars Taurins, was formed in 1981 to complement the Orchestra. The 2012/13 touring season brings Tafelmusik’s two most recent multi-media concerts, The Galileo Project and House of Dreams, to audiences across North America.
Bella Napoli concerts sponsored by:
Season Presenting Sponsor:
Tafelmusik gratefully acknowledges the support of its partners in government:
Tafelmusik’s Season Radio Sponsor is The New CLASSICAL 96.3 FM. Tafelmusik’s Tafelscene programme is supported by TD Bank Group
For media information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Luisa Trisi, Media Relations Manager, tel: 416 481‐1161 | e‐mail: [email protected] High‐resolution photos of Tafelmusik and Vesuvius Ensemble are available for download in the Media Room at www.tafelmusik.org