ALLA CORTE DI FERRARA
Master recital Ailen Monti – Lute and Gittern
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Musik Akademie Basel – Class of Marc Lewon

With the kind collaboration of:
Peppe Frana (lute and gittern); Elizabeth Sommers (fiddle and viola d'arco), Aliénor Wolteche (fiddle); Carolin Margraf (gothic harp);
Ann Allen (shawm), Teresa Ortner (bombard); Matthijs van der Moolen (trombone);
Karin Weston, Amy Farnell, Matthieu Romanens, Emmanuel Dupouët (voice).

* Secular music at the court of Ferrara from 1393 until 1534:
This programme reflects the secular music performed at the court of Ferrara during the regimes of five dukes: Niccolò III, Leonello, Borso, Ercole, and Alfonso I. The musical genres represented include pieces from the Ars Nova (Italian istampitte and ballate) and Ars Subtilior periods, English, French, and Flemish chansons, instrumental repertoires based on pre-existing tenors, reworkings of famous songs, repertoire for solo lute and Italian frottole. The instruments chosen to perform this repertoire are those known as “soft” or bassa capella and are mentioned in the Ferrarese sources: lute, gittern (chitarino), vielle, and harp, but for this programme leaving aside keyboard instruments such as the organ and harpsichord. A group of piffari (made up of shawms and trombone) announces each of the five segments of the programme, which are sorted chronologically to reflect the musical world of each duke’s court; the trombone in turn sings famous tenor lines.
Although focussing on instrumental music, female voice runs through the entire programme, carrying the texts with dramatic expression, though – as Castiglione expects of a donna di palazzo – in a manner that obscures neither the sweetness of the melody nor the text. Female musical performance was part of courtly life, and this is represented by a strong female presence on stage this evening.
The first part of the concert is dedicated to the late Italian Trecento, to the figure of Pietrobono del Chitarino, and to the passage of the German organist Conrad Paumann at this court in 1470, represented here by the famous 15th-century duo of gothic harp with bray pins and plectrum lute. The second part contains canonical works from the 15th century up to the first decade of the 16th century, including ricercari for 6-course lute and Italian frottole.

NICCOLÒ III d’Este (1393–1429) – The femicidal peacemaker
00:00:00 Cançon de pifari dicto el Ferrarese. Antonio Cornazzano
00:01:12 Belicha. Istampitta. Anonym.
00:03:14 Morir desio. Bartolomeo da Bologna
00:06:54 Sus une fontayne. Johannes Ciconia
00:10:03 C’est bien raison. Guillaume Dufay

LEONELLO d’Este (1429–1450) – A man of immense rarity
00:16:24 Leonçello. Antonio Cornazzano
00:17:40 Pavana alla ferrarese. Joan Ambrosio Dalza
00:19:54 O Rosa bella. John Bedynham. Diminunions: Ailén Monti
00:21:20 Gli atti col dançar. Johannes Ciconia

BORSO d’Este (1450–1471) – Laudes Petri boni cythariste
00:24:00 Tandernak. Paul Hofhaimer
00:27:33 Elend du hast. Anonym (Lochamer-Liederbuch)
00:29:14 Jeloymors. Gilles Binchois (Buxheimer Orgelbuch)
00:32:12 Io zemo suspiro. Galfridus de Anglia
00:33:19 Cum lacrimis. Johannes Ciconia (Wolfenbütteler Lautentabulatur)

ERCOLE I d’Este (1471–1505) – The singers of princes are rewarded with honour, glory, and wealth
00:35:53 Kyrie, Missa Hercules dux Ferrarie. Josquin des Prez
00:37:03 Comme femme II. Alexander Agricola
00:39:03 Ma bouche rit. Jean de Ockeghem
00:44:48 Adieu mes amours. Josquin des Prez

ALFONSO I d’Este (1505–1534) – Girls just want to have fun
00:46:31 Bassadanza over La Spagna. Anonym. Diminutions: Ailén Monti
00:48:16 Ricercare. Francesco Bossinensis
00:48:41 Poi che volse la mia stella. Bartolomeo Tromboncino
00:51:22 Ricercare di Benedictus. Anonym (Thibault manuscript)
00:52:36 La Bernardina de Josquin. Francesco Spinacino
00:53:57 Ricercare. Joan Ambrosio Dalza
00:55:26 Non è tempo d'aspettare. Marchetto Cara

21.01.22 Kartäuserkirche, Basel CH