No, this isn’t another Steely Dan reunion. This is the real resurrection of a very special SFEMS concert promised in our Season Brochure—an event that once had foundered but once again has been found!
Photo: Marco Borggreve
If that introduction seems a bit irreverent, just wait for what Stile Antico—the British vocal ensemble who’ve quickly established themselves as one of the most original and exciting new voices in early music—bring into the sanctuary of Berkeley’s First Congregational Church next April 10! Their program, titled “Sacred or Profane? The Sensual Made Spiritual in the Renaissance,” will expose more than any of us ever needed to know about sacred polyphony’s steamy, seamy, back-story. It’s said that the Devil has all the best tunes, and this program, covering three centuries of superb music, shows the Church had little shame about stealing them.
Tracing the blurred boundary between sacred and secular music in the Renaissance, Stile Antico will lift the curtain on risqué, racy chansons transformed by Lassus, Morales and Victoria into devout Masses and Magnificats, and ribald folksongs worked into prayerful polyphony by Dufay and Taverner. Most shockingly of all, and in spite of the Church’s disapproval, it was none other than the Cardinal of Milan who commissioned sacred texts to be fitted to some of Monteverdi’s most frankly erotic madrigals.
Stile Antico has built a reputation for the committed and expressive performances that grow out of its distinctive, collaborative style of working. The twelve-member ensemble rehearse and perform as chamber musicians without a conductor, each contributing artistically to the musical results. The group also is noted for its intelligent programming that often draws out thematic connections between works to shine new light on Renaissance music—as they will in the program they will be singing for us.
Besides its core repertoire, the group has given world premieres of works by John McCabe and Huw Watkins, and recently juxtaposed the music of William Byrd and James MacMillan to great acclaim. Their diverse range of collaborations has included performances with viol consort Fretwork, pianist Marino Fomenti, orchestra B’Rock, and Sting. They also have an extensive discography on the Harmonia Mundi label and have earned accolades including the Gramophone Award for Early Music, the Diapason d’or de l’année, the Edison Klassiek Award and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik; they have twice received Grammy® nominations.
Only 10 years old, this accomplished and innovative vocal ensemble has thrilled audiences and impressed critics across Europe and in North America. Alex Ross of the New Yorker called their singing “perhaps the most ravishing sound I have heard this year.” Ivan Hewitt of The Daily Telegraph wrote “Their sound has the urgency and freshness you get from young voices, and an amazing rhythmic vitality.” The New York Times’ Steve Smith described them as “An ensemble of breathtaking freshness, vitality and balance.” One thing that is immediately apparent on hearing a Tiny Desk Concert that the group did for NPR back in 2010 is the sheer energy and the enjoyment they derive from singing this music.
SFEMS is thrilled to present the Bay Area debut of Stile Antico—a special appearance, one performance only—at 4:00 p.m., April 10, in Berkeley’s First Congregational Church. Subscribers receive a discount on the ticket price of this event. For tickets or more information, phone the box office at 510-528-1725
