Seasons of the year, hours of the day 

- Madrigals and Instrumental music by Monteverdi, De Wert and their contemporaries

Distribution: 14 musicians
Singers: SSSATTBB
Instruments: 2 violins, 1 Cello, 1 theorbo, 1 Harp, 1 Harpsichord 
Duration: ca. 85 minutes (flexible) 

Voces Suaves and Capricornus Consort Basel present a rich program, exploring the theme of time in the vocal music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque. The theme of time – circular, as manifested in the seasons of the year, and linear, manifested in aging and mortality – fascinated the Renaissance artists, poets and composers. It is especially prominent in the madrigal genre, in which music is so vividly connected with poetry. Our program concentrates on two giants of this genre, who both worked at the court of Mantua: Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) and Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). Although they belong to different generations, they are truly connected by a common search for intensive musical expression. The program includes works ranging from a-cappella to large scale madrigals for 8 voices, which present the rich and varied connections between people, nature and time.