THE LEGACY OF VASA'S COURT

MUSICAL HERITAGE OF THE LITHUANIAN GRAND DUCHY AND THE KINGDOM OF POLAND 

 

 

Canto Fiorito in collaboration with Norwegian Cornett & Sackbuts, Oslo

 

Thursday 1 October 2015 at Druskininkai St. Maria Church

Friday 2 October 2015 at Varniai Chuch of St. Apostols Peter and Paul

Sunday 4 October 2015 at Ignalina Chuch of Virgin Mary's Birth

Friday 9 October 2015 at Oslo Trinity Church

Sunday 11 October 2015 at Trondheim Our Lady's Church

 

The early music project “The Legacy of Vasa’s Court: Musical Heritage of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy and the Kingdom of Poland” is the creative collaboration between Lithuanian and Norwegian ensembles Canto Fiorito (Vilnius) and Norwegian Cornets and Sackbuts (Oslo), implemented with the support of the EEA Grants program, that aims to reduce social and economic disparities in the European Economic Area and to encourage cultural partnership for creation and preservation of values. The two ensembles will perform 5 concerts in 3 regional cities of Lithuania – Druskininkai, Ignalina and Varniai – and in 2 cities of Norway – Oslo and Trondheim.  

 

The program of these concerts is a musical trip to the early XVII century in Lithuania – to the time of the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth, a dual state of Lithuania and Poland, in which its rare quasi-democratic political system, combined with religious tolerance, created the best conditions to the development of science and culture. In the early XVII century Lithuania was ruled by the Vasa dynasty. The Vasa’s court of Sigismund and later his son Wladyslaw attracted and hired many Italian masters like Tarquinio Merula, Marco Scacchi and Giovanni Battista Cocciola, who’s music production was a reference to all Europe. The musical program of the concerts blends the works of these Italian masters with pieces created by notable local composers, like Adam Jarzebski and Marcin Mielczewski.

 

The aim of this project is to recover the XVII century musical treasures of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy and the Kingdom of Poland and present it to the audiences of all age and social groups. The 2 concerts in Norway will be the first presentation of Lithuanian early baroque music in this country. In Lithuania, the concerts will be accompanied by lectures on early music for kids and youth and will also aim at reducing political contraposition between Lithuanian and Polish communities in the country, by revealing the richness and value of the their common cultural history.

 

The Vilnius based early music ensemble Canto Fiorito, lead by Rodrigo Calveyra, has started its activity in 2013 and at once became the most active promoter of historically informed performance in Lithuania. Consisting of 5 Lithuanian singers and instrumentalists from various countries, the ensemble is dedicated to the research and performance of medieval, renaissance and baroque music, with a special attention to the early music heritage related to the history of Lithuania. The ensemble also implements early music education in Lithuania.

 

Norwegian Cornett & Sackbuts is one of the first and few ensembles that perform renaissance and baroque music on historical brass and percussion instruments in Norway. Norwegian Cornett and Sackbuts was started in London in 2002, and the ensemble is now based in Oslo. In 2010 the ensemble won the first Nordic competition for early music ensembles. The ensemble performs in Nordic Countries, Netherlands, Slovenia. For more information about the ensemble click here.

 

The project is supported by EEA Grants and Lithuanian Council for Culture.

Information sponsors: LRT Kultūra, Lietuvos rytas.

 

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Norwegian Cornett & Sackbuts
Norwegian Cornett & Sackbuts