Sollazzo Ensemble: La Contenance Angloise: The English Style on the Continent at St John the Baptist Church, Amersham on Wednesday 9th October 2019

Please note: This concert is in the past and has already taken place.

Sollazzo Ensemble: La Contenance Angloise

The English Style on the Continent

Part of the Little Missenden Festival 2019

Add to my Calendar 09-10-2019 20:00 09-10-2019 22:00 36 Sollazzo Ensemble: La Contenance Angloise The Sollazzo Ensemble are an exciting new entrant to the Early Music scene. Founded in 2014 in Basel, the ensemble brings together musicians with a strong interest in late medieval and early renaissance repertoires. They’re directed by vielle player Anna Danilevskaia. The individual members come from very different musical backgrounds - Early Music, modern classical music, theatre, and even musicals. In 2015 they won the York Early Music International Young Artists Prize, as well as being rewarded by the public with the Friends of York Early Music Festival Prize. They then went on to win the Cambridge Early Music Prize. Their first CD Parle qui veut, won a Diapason d’Or, became the Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and Choral & Song Choice in BBC Magazine. The English Style on the Continent It’s rare for English music to have any appreciable influence on Continental taste but the early fifteenth century was an exception. The Anglo-Burgundian alliance during the 100 Years War led to close political links, while Duke Philip the Good’s court was also becoming a flourishing centre for arts of all kinds, especially music. According to a contemporary treatise, ‘there is a new practice of making elegant concord in loud and soft music and Dufay and Binchois have taken of the English manner and followed Dunstable, which has made their song marvellously pleasing, distinguished and delightful.’ The style – frequently described as ‘sweet’ because of its particular harmonies and greater lyricism – was given the name la contenance angloise. Pieces from this tradition form the basis of Sollazzo’s programme. “This is an exceptional performance; it is full of vitality and enthusiasm, facility and flexibility, and clearly grows out of both deep knowledge and sincere enjoyment of this music. It is an excellent introduction, or addition, to late medieval secular song. The Sollazzo Ensemble is one to keep your eyes and ears on.” Early Music America “Ces charmants virtuoses respirent le bonheur de jouer et de chanter!” L’Hebdo du Haut-Jura In addition to the compositions above, the programme includes the following anonymous pieces: Leuven Chansonnier Helas l’avoy desserviTousdit vous voitEscu dennuiHenri Phlippet Bayeux Chansonnier Souvent je m’esbat Cyprus Codex Mon cuer s’en rit de fortuneParle qui veutLa bonne et belle Details of other events in this year's Little Missenden Festival can be found on our website. St John the Baptist Church, Amersham DD/MM/YYYY

Details

St John the Baptist Church
Highmore Cottages
Little Missenden
Amersham
Buckinghamshire
HP7 0RA
England

Wednesday 9th October 2019
8:00 PM

Programme

Gilles Binchois – Triste Plaisir
Gilles Mureau – Je ne fay plus
Pierre Fontaine – Sans faire de vous departie
Guillaume Dufay – Lamentio Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae
Johannes Ockeghem – D'ung aultre amer
Loyset Compère – Le grant desir

Performers

Sollazzo Ensemble

Programme Note

The Sollazzo Ensemble are an exciting new entrant to the Early Music scene. Founded in 2014 in Basel, the ensemble brings together musicians with a strong interest in late medieval and early renaissance repertoires. They’re directed by vielle player Anna Danilevskaia. The individual members come from very different musical backgrounds - Early Music, modern classical music, theatre, and even musicals.

In 2015 they won the York Early Music International Young Artists Prize, as well as being rewarded by the public with the Friends of York Early Music Festival Prize. They then went on to win the Cambridge Early Music Prize. Their first CD Parle qui veut, won a Diapason d’Or, became the Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and Choral & Song Choice in BBC Magazine.

The English Style on the Continent

It’s rare for English music to have any appreciable influence on Continental taste but the early fifteenth century was an exception. The Anglo-Burgundian alliance during the 100 Years War led to close political links, while Duke Philip the Good’s court was also becoming a flourishing centre for arts of all kinds, especially music.

According to a contemporary treatise, ‘there is a new practice of making elegant concord in loud and soft music and Dufay and Binchois have taken of the English manner and followed Dunstable, which has made their song marvellously pleasing, distinguished and delightful.’ The style – frequently described as ‘sweet’ because of its particular harmonies and greater lyricism – was given the name la contenance angloise. Pieces from this tradition form the basis of Sollazzo’s programme.

“This is an exceptional performance; it is full of vitality and enthusiasm, facility and flexibility, and clearly grows out of both deep knowledge and sincere enjoyment of this music. It is an excellent introduction, or addition, to late medieval secular song. The Sollazzo Ensemble is one to keep your eyes and ears on.” Early Music America

“Ces charmants virtuoses respirent le bonheur de jouer et de chanter!” L’Hebdo du Haut-Jura

In addition to the compositions above, the programme includes the following anonymous pieces:

Leuven Chansonnier

Helas l’avoy desservi
Tousdit vous voit
Escu dennui
Henri Phlippet

Bayeux Chansonnier

Souvent je m’esbat

Cyprus Codex

Mon cuer s’en rit de fortune
Parle qui veut
La bonne et belle

Details of other events in this year's Little Missenden Festival can be found on our website.

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