Esteemed musicologist Dr. Susan McClary has a reputation for brilliant and provocative scholarship. On November 8th, she is joined by internationally-renowned recorder player and cornettist Alex Opsahl and “alluring” tenor Jason McStoots to probe the ecstatic and often erotic overtones of 17th century music and poetry. From the sensual verse of the Song of Songs to the metaphysical writings of John Donne, we explore how composers translated the exuberance of these texts to sound. Alongside commentary from McClary, Opsahl, and McStoots, the episode features new, international remote collaborations of motets by Heinrich Schütz and exclusive archival video from Tesserae, Opsahl’s acclaimed LA-based early music ensemble that regularly performs music from the Renaissance and early Baroque eras.
PROGRAM INCLUDES
Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672)
O quam tu pulchra – Veni di Libano, amica mea, SWV 265-266
Anima mea liquefacta est – Adjura vos, SWV 263-264
Giovanni Battista Fontana (1589-1630)
Sonata Sesta – footage courtesy of Tesserae Baroque
Giovanni Paolo Cima (c. 1570-1630)
Sonata per cornetto & trombone, overo violino o violone
Francesco Rognoni (1570-1626)
Divisions on Pulchra Es Amica Mea (after Palestrina) – footage courtesy of the Da Camera Society