Rossi 400 | Vache Baroque Project 23-24

SALOMONE ROSSI THE SONGS OF SOLOMON A 400th year celebration

vachebaroque.com

Reg. UK Charity 1193591

Who was Rossi?

Salomone Rossi was a highly respected Jewish composer and principal violinist in the court of Mantua, working alongside Claudio Monteverdi in the decades either side of 1600. Today, it is Rossi's famous colleague who enjoys the spotlight, with L’Orfeo (premiered in Mantua in 1607) celebrated as a quality marker for the start

ROSSI Salomone

of opera. Its scoring requires a sizeable group of immensely sensitive musicians who were asked to play with "much invention and variety". Rossi would have been

an

inspiring

leader

in

such

a

ensemble - a first among equals. No doubt because of this, he was one of a select number Jews permitted by the ruling elite not to wear a star of David on his clothing.

Rossi the Innovator

In the same year as the premiere of Monteverdi’s opera, Rossi published the first of four collections of instrumental music that would set a new precedent for pieces in trio texture - two treble instruments and a harmonised bass line. Years later, having composed a large number of secular songs and madrigals as was fashionable throughout Europe, Rossi published another groundbreaking volume: Ha-shirim asher li-Shlomo or The Songs of Solomon (a pun on his name and The Song of Solomon). In it he set psalms and other sacred Hebrew texts to music in a contemporary style, something that had never been done before.

Why Now?

Exactly 400 years ago, this novel experiment in cultural synthesis is a key moment in our shared history that deserves celebration. Alongside selections of Rossi's instrumental music, our programmes will pair sacred and secular vocal pieces with settings of the same texts by other 17th-century composers in their own vernaculars, including Heinrich Schütz, William Byrd, and Claudio Monteverdi. It will be a celebration not just of the communicative and political power of language, but also of Rossi set deservedly in the company of the famed composers of his time.

MUSIC VIDEOS

Page 5

Two cutting-edge, contemporary videos, making Rossi's music accessible & relatable.

Starring magnetic BirdGang Ltd dancers.

Released online in July 2023.

Supporters' première & drinks in Mayfair on

Tuesday 11 July

IMMERSIVE DINNER-CONCERTS

A series of bespoke dinner-concerts at synagogues and venues across the UK, culminating in a VIP gala event in the Great Hall of The Vache on Page 7

SJSS CONCERT

Saturday 4 November Page 9

A Hannukah celebration of Rossi's 'The Songs of Solomon' set alongside other contemporary vernacular psalm settings from across Europe.

Running time c.2 hours including an interval.

Wednesday 13 December

ITALIAN TOUR Concert programme tour to venues across Italy, including Lerici Music Festival in

Summer 2024

MUSIC VIDEOS Supporters' première screening in Mayfair, London

Tuesday 11 July

project

To contextualise the secular vocal music composed by Rossi in the decades before the publication of The Songs of Solomon, we will create three short films: two madrigals - by Rossi and the English composer Thomas Weelkes - and one of Rossi's opening prayer in Hebrew.

Director Hannah Lovell will lead our filming at One Friendly Place and other locations across Deptford, London. These videos are at the very heart of our project, presenting Rossi's music in an accessible, relevant and relatable way in order to reach new audiences.

Birdgang Ltd. dancers will bring the stories to life in Ukweli Roach's choreography, starring alongside six Vache Baroque singers and a chitarrone player.

We will release these videos across our digital and social media platforms in July, where they will be available to watch free of charge.

For those who may never have heard a madrigal, we will make clear through the style and direction of these videos how this ancient musical genre transmitted the intensity of love and loss in much the same way as the vocal pop music of our modern era.

BIRDGANG LTD. dancers

1

Format Options:

Sung opening prayer 2 mins First Course Musical Offering 20 mins Main Course Musical Offering 20 mins Dessert Musical Offering 15 mins

2

DINNER

programme

Music during service 7 mins Canapés & Drinks Reception Full Programme 50 mins Dinner

3

Full Programme 57 mins Canapés & Drinks Reception

VIP Dinner-Concert at The Vache, HP8 4SD

Saturday 4 Nov

An evening event where Jewish-Italian cuisine will be paired with a musical menu of sacred and secular vocal pieces by Rossi and his contemporaries from across Europe.

Joyful prayers, lamenting solo songs, and passionate madrigals will be sung in Hebrew, Italian, Latin, and English, accompanied by the sounds of a chitarrone (a large lute popular at the time) and Baroque guitar. Here is a musical example from our friends Profeti della Quinta.

Our catering partner Chef Adam Nathan specialises in creating delicious bespoke menus with an accent on Jewish cuisine. For these meat-free and kosher events, he is excited to weave Italian elements into his cookery to marry the styles of the food and music. A double feast for our guests!

We will create a bespoke format for each dinner-concert event, led by the expertise and knowledge of each community's particular preferences. We have listed three possible formats above. We would be very happy to collaborate with in-house catering teams too.

CARCIOFI ALLA GIUDÌA Lemon-marinated artichokes

FRITELLE DI HANNUKAH Hannukah rice fritters

Vocal & Instrumental Barechu (opening prayer) Salomone Rossi Psalm 137 Thomas Campion, Salomone Rossi Psalm 128 Salomone Rossi, Heinrich Schütz Adon olam Salomone Rossi Psalm 146 John Farmer, Salomone Rossi Psalm 8 Thomas Ravenscroft, Salomone Rossi Psalm 100 William Byrd, Heinrich Schütz, Salomone Rossi

CONCERT

programme

A Hannukah celebration of Rossi's 'The Songs of Solomon' set alongside other contemporary vernacular psalm settings from across Europe.

Running time c. 2 hours including an interval

Psalm 112 Giovanni Gastoldi, Francesco Cavalli Psalm 80 Henry Purcell, Salomone Rossi Hashkivenuh adonai (closing prayer) Salomone Rossi

Instrumental Selection of sinfonias à 3 Salomone Rossi Canzona alla francese à 4, ‘La Gonzaga’ Amante Franzoni

at venues including St. John's Smith Square, London

Wednesday 13 December

ST. JOHN'S SMITH SQUARE London Concert

MUSICIANS Vache Baroque is proud to count among its network of singers the finest vocalists of Baroque-era music in the UK. From English, Italian, and French opera, to cantata, solo song, and madrigal repertory, artistic director Jonathan

Vache Baroque singers

Darbourne invites singers whose talents match the demands of our programmes. For the intimate dinner programme, five leading consort singers and a chitarrone/Baroque guitar player will perform, joined by a further three singers and La Vaghezza for the full concert programme.

La Vaghezza

La Vaghezza are an award-winning trio sonata ensemble playing music from the 17th and early 18th Centuries, with a special interest in the unpredictability, extravagance, originality and freedom found in 17th-century Italian music.

Their debut CD 'Sculpting the Fabric' (2021) features three instrumental movements by Rossi.

★★★★★ Klassik "Enviable instrumental quality... a total freedom in tone" ★★★★★ On.Mag "Keeps the listener continuously on the edge of their seat. A great debut album" ★★★★★ Rondo "Played... sensually, racingly, poignantly"

productions

“INGENIOUS STAGECRAFT AND EXPERT MUSICIANSHIP” ★★★★ The Stage 2021

“NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR” Opera Now 2022

Vache Baroque produces bold and innovative projects inspired by the gripping drama of Baroque-era music, dance, and theatre. Formed in 2020, the organisation has enjoyed critical acclaim for a number of operas and multi-artform events (street-style dance, electronics,

jazz,

sculpture,

poetry,

devised

theatre)

both

at

The

Vache

in

Buckinghamshire and in London.

Vache Baroque's mission is to introduce new audiences and artists to the beauty and thrill of the genre, presenting modern interpretations of old stories which often accent issues faced by marginalised communities. Rossi's Songs of Solomon perfectly encapsulates the intertwining of cultures that Vache Baroque champions, and we are thrilled to spotlight his music throughout this celebratory project.

To discuss any aspect of this project, kindly contact our General Manager Paula Price-Davies e: paula@vachebaroque.com t: 0774 800 6989

Vache Baroque Registered UK Charity 1193591 www.vachebaroque.com