Vancouver Bach Festival: Barbara Strozzi – From Tears To Laughter (film)
Free (Free ($5-$10CAD in-person))
Suzie LeBlanc, soprano
Andréanne Brisson-Paquin, soprano
Ariadne Lih, soprano
Ensemble Constantinople
Lucas Harris, therobo & lute
Didem Başar, kanun
Patrick Graham, percussion
Tanya LaPerrière, baroque violin & viola d'amore
Kiya Tabassian, setar & shourangiz
This programme is a tribute to the Venetian composer and singer Barbara Strozzi, one of the most important composers of Italian cantatas and baroque arias. Her sensitivity to text and experimentation with form and style offered nuance and a high level of emotional sensitivity to her music. In 1638, she read both sides of a debate written by Giovanni Francesco Loredano and Matteo Dandolo about whether tears or song is the more powerful weapon in love. Not surprisingly, the song won and Strozzi ended the debate by saying: “I do not question your decision, gentlemen, in favor of song, for well I know that I would not have received the honor of your presence at our last session had I invited you to see me cry and not to hear me sing.” This concert will explore Strozzi’s lighter side as well as presenting her famous lament Lagrime mie. A rich mix of plucked and string instruments from Iran, Turkey, and Italy (two theorbos, baroque guitar, kanun, setar, cello, gamba, viola d’amore, and violin) complements the vocal pieces and creates some lively instrumental dances.
The broadcast and concert will take place at 5pm Pacific.
This concert will premiere online at the EMV YouTube channel and will be available to stream until August 6, 2021. Access to the online concert is free, and donations are greatly appreciated.
Attending in-person: The film will be shown at:
The Cinematheque
1131 Howe St
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8, Canada
In-person tickets: $10 CAD / $7.85 USD group of 1 ($5 CAD / $3.91 USD ages 35 & younger, group of one)
Link to donate: https://www.earlymusic.bc.ca/donate/
About Constantinople
Constantinople is a musical ensemble that chose the journey—geographical certainly, but also historical, cultural and inner—as its cornerstone. It draws inspiration from all sources and aims for distant horizons. Inspired by the ancient city illuminating the East and West, Constantinople was founded in 1998 in Montreal by its artistic director, Kiya Tabassian.
Since its founding, the ensemble promotes the creation of new works incorporating musical elements of diverse musical traditions around the world, drawing from medieval manuscripts to a contemporary aesthetic, passing by Mediterranean Europe to Eastern traditions and New World Baroque. Underpinned by a spirit of research and creation, Constantinople has joined forces with leading international artists such as singers Marco Beasley, Françoise Atlan, Savina Yannatou and Suzie Le Blanc; the Mandinka griot Ablaye Cissoko; the Greek ensemble En Chordais, the Belgian duo Belem and the American group The Klezmatics; sarangi virtuoso Dhruba Ghosh, Syrian clarinettist and composer Kinan Azmeh, and Iranian kamancheh master Kayhan Kalhor.
Regularly invited to perform in international festivals and prestigious concert halls, such as the Salle Pleyel in Paris, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco, the Rencontres musicales de Conques in France, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, the Cervantino Festival in Mexico, the Festival de Carthage in Tunisia, the Onassis Cultural Centre-Athens and the BOZAR in Brussels, Constantinople is acclaimed by the public, music professionals and critics alike. The ensemble has 19 albums to its credit on labels Analekta, Atma, World Village, Buda Musique, MaCase, Glossa, and Dreyer Gaido. Over the past fifteen years, Constantinople has created nearly 50 works and travelled to more than 240 cities in 54 countries.
Kiya Tabassian, setar & Artistic director |
Didem Başar, kanun |
Patrick Graham, percussion |
Tanya LaPerrière, baroque violin & Viola d'amore |
Pierre-Yves Martel, viola da gamba & double bass