Day: June 12, 2018

Orlando Lassus madrigals

Now and then, I attend a concert that, among the many hundreds I’ve attended, stands out unforgettably.  Last night, at London’s Wigmore Hall, the performance of selected late madrigals by Orlando Lassus by the Collegium Vocale Gent was such a concert.  From the opening first few seconds of music, I was no longer on this planet (which was a relief).  Still not quite back to earth.

My list of such concerts is few – the complete Bach solo violin sonatas and partitas performed in Sainte Chappelle; Mitsuko Uchida performing the last three Beethoven piano sonatas at Carnegie Hall.

Lassus has long been a favorite composer for me.  These madrigals represent the height of Renaissance polyphonic vocal writing.  Heaven.

2018 International Viola D’Amore Society Congress

Last week I spent several days at the 2018 International Viola D’amore Society Congress.  Long story short, Gertrud Schmidt found some of my songs with viola d’amore accompaniment on my website and contacted me to ask to perform them and for me to write a new piece for her, with soprano Berenike Langmaack.  They both performed my Rilke Songs along with the new piece, a setting of Erich Kaestner’s “Der Februar” at the Congress this past Friday.

I am thankful that I have the wherewithal to be able to make trips like this one.  It was a delightful few days – and much thanks for Gertrud and Berenike for their hospitality.  It is wonderful to make new friends! Also, I am guessing that my visit there will inspire more music for the instrument, having heard, over the several days of my visit, viola d’amore music from across centuries.