Thursday, July 23
8:30 p.m.
Free admission (reservation required)
Royal Colleges (Reials Col·legis)
The Italian Seicento (17th century) was a key period of cultural and artistic transformation that coincided with the early Baroque era. In music, it marked the transition from Renaissance polyphony to a new, more expressive and dramatic aesthetic, also influenced by the scientific and philosophical changes taking place across Europe. Music became increasingly subjective and aimed at moving the listener, with the emergence of new forms such as opera, cantata and concerto, as well as techniques such as basso continuo.
Composers such as Claudio Monteverdi, Francesca Caccini and Benedetto Ferrari drove this evolution through a freer style focused on textual clarity and expressiveness (recitar cantando). The works of this period combine harmonic innovation and rhetorical devices intended to “move the affections.” The programme includes sacred and spiritual works by these composers, highlighting the contrast between music and text, the use of ostinato bass patterns and chromaticism, and a remarkable emotional intensity, particularly in works such as Merula’s Ninna nanna and Mazzocchi’s Lagrime amare.
Ferran Albrich, baritone
He began his musical training as a cellist in Germany, where he graduated with highest honours before turning to singing. Trained at the Conservatori del Liceu in Barcelona, he has won prizes in numerous competitions and has developed a solid career as a performer, collaborating with major orchestras and appearing in leading European concert halls. His repertoire spans oratorio, opera and Lied, and he is noted for his versatility and growing international profile.
Pablo Zapico, theorbo
An Asturian theorbist specialising in historically informed performance, he studied at ESMUC and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). He is co-founder of the acclaimed ensemble Forma Antiqva. He maintains an intense international career as a soloist and collaborator with leading European ensembles, with an extensive discography and numerous awards attesting to his standing in the field of Baroque music.
Juliette Commeaux, harp
A harpist specialising in early music, Juliette Commeaux maintains an active career as a performer with ensembles dedicated to historically informed performance. Her work focuses particularly on Renaissance and Baroque repertoire, with special attention to recovering period sonorities and performance practices. She has participated in numerous chamber music projects and vocal productions, combining musicological rigour with great artistic sensitivity.
Marc de la Linde, viola da gamba
A specialist in the viola da gamba, Marc de la Linde focuses his artistic activity on the repertoire of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He regularly collaborates with early music ensembles in both chamber programmes and vocal or stage productions. His approach to historical performance is distinguished by a search for expressiveness and the rich timbral depth of an instrument that played a fundamental role in Renaissance and Baroque music.
Jordi Domènech, organ
A harpsichordist, organist and singer, Jordi Domènech has an extensive career in the field of early music. Trained in piano and voice in Barcelona and London, he has performed with prestigious ensembles and on major European stages, particularly in opera and oratorio. He is also active as a musical director, composer and teacher, and has received numerous awards.
Laudate Dominum C. Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Maria, dolce Maria F. Caccini (1587-1640)
Stillae sparse, sopra la Passione di Nostro Signore M. Cazzati (1616-1678)
Soneto spirituale sopra la Ninna, nanna T. Merula (1594-1595)
Passagaglia C. Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Salve Regina C. Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Lagrime amare. Lamento di Maddalena D. Mazzochi (1592-1665)
Queste pungente spine B. Ferrari (1597-1681)
