dossier br RAround 2014 english

RINGAROUND
VOCAL QUARTET
www.ringaround.it
“Weʼre a quartet of voices with a new, original take on Renaissance music: enriched by
expressive gestures, and measured movements that add a theatrical dimension to the
performance. Our particular blend of voices and the way we try to express the feeling and the
stories that we sing make for a refreshing experience, hugely enjoyed by younger
generations and early music scholars alike.”
Dino Villatico, Repubblica
At the Festival di Spoleto, the revelation has been the Ring Around Quartet, a pleasant italian group that tackles
especially the Italian and French Renaissance repertoire, and does so with extraordinary grace and expressive insight,
impeccable intonation, diction that strictly adheres to the spirit of each text. In a word, you could call them perfect...
Sara Patera, Giornale di Sicilia “What a lovely charm, among frottole and villanelle”
A concert, but then something more: at the Politeama with the Ring Around Quartet. They manage to rivet their large
(and mostly young) audienceʼs attention, and to awake their enthusiasm. Gentle sounds that caress the ear. Measured
gestures that grant an elegant theatrical element to the chansons and a flexibility of voices that enhances the pleasure of
this four-player game. Smiling innuendos, supple weavings of voices, smooth phrasings in a subtly rarefied atmosphere.
Barefoot, simply dressed in white, the four genoese performers, expressively attuned, further their song with gracious
movements. And one leaves with a sense of joyful lightness.
A.Z. Gazzetta di Mantova
The pleasure and the flavour of an authentic intellectual entertainment. A lively success at Palazzo Te for the Ring
Around Quartet, which captures its audience with fresh and nicely sorted voices, grace and accuracy...
Brescia Oggi
A different concert, where an excellent technical level meets an absolutely original interpretive approach that combines
the singing with gestures, eye glances with body movements, following the meaning of the text besides the rhythm of the
sound...
Gazzettino di Udine
Singers performing barefoot, extremely simply clothed, bring to life, thanks to their choreography or their signifying
playful attitudes, texts and harmonies of immediate expressiveness. Thatʼs the exquisite idea: all the fun the audience is
having is already there, in the work itself, thereʼs no need for frills to underscore it, all you need is exceptional harmony,
vocal blend and rhythm, like the Ring Around Quartetʼs...
Giornale di Brescia
Thereʼs this common assumption that music from the Cinquecento is meant for an audience of connoisseurs, but judging
from how the Ring Around Quartet is rethinking it, you might bet there will be more passionate listeners very soon. The
Gioco di Voci concert, tastefully and elegantly performed, has brought out the natural liveliness of these pieces. The four
singers tackle this Renaissance music with impeccable vocal technique, mutual understanding, admirable intonation,
accompanying the performance with lively gestures, choreographic movements and a strategy of glances, bringing to life
a real theatrical dimension.
Bernardino Zappa, L'Eco di Bergamo
Thanks to a solid skill, which makes you recall similar ensembles –especially anglo-saxon ones–, it was possible to
appreciate repertoires still very rarely performed, proving the vitality of a literature mostly only known through the
handbooks of music history. The often surprising modernity of Janequin or Morley, able to combine the play of words and
music, from onomatopoeia to imitations, to clever circular structures, has been managed with a playful yet rigorous spirit,
accurate in the brilliant and well-balanced delivery of the four singers.
El Watan (Algeri), Cette soirée a été une pure merveille pour les initiés et les profanes de chants de la Renaissance
italienne. Les quatre chanteurs italiens ont invité les présents à revisiter, avec beaucoup de grâce, le pouvoir expressif
des chants et ce, en privilégiant la diction et la technique vocale.
Since our debut in 1993 in Genoa-Italy, our vocal ensemble (formed by Vera Marenco, Manuela Litro, Umberto
Bartolini and Alberto Longhi), has become popular thanks to our particular blend of voices and to our great
communicative ability in performance. We have fine-tuned our singing through the masterclasses of Rachid Safir (Les
Jeunes Solistes) and the Hilliard Ensemble. What makes us special is how we present the secular early polyphonic
repertoire in a theatrical dimension. Chansons, villanelle, frottole, madrigals by Italian, French-Flemish, Spanish
composers are performed in a concert-show where the visual aspect is as important as the musical one.
We also perform extensively the medieval and Renaissance sacred repertoire, and weʼre studying the different
languages of contemporary music, sometimes in direct collaboration with the composers. In fact, in 1997 weʼve
recorded a CD called Musiche per Van Dyck, a collection of music inspired by flemish polyphony composing styles.
Since then weʼve commissioned and premiered works by Ennio Morricone, Matteo DʼAmico, Claudio Ambrosini, and
others. With this repertoire weʼve been awarded the special prizes for best Group of soloists and best italian ensemble
at the 42nd International Seghizzi Competition in 2003.
Born in 2003 for a performance in Spoleto, our Gioco di Voci program has been called the revelation of the Festival dei
Due Mondi. Since then, weʼve often been called by Maestro Gian Carlo Menotti (whoʼs been very fond of our
ensemble) to perform at many following seasons of that Festival.
Throughout our career together weʼve had an intense concert activity, and had the honor to sing for a very diverse
selection of musical institutions, amongst which are: the Amici della musica in Palermo (teatro Politeama), in Florence
(Teatro la Pergola), in Padova, Trapani and Perugia, the Teatro La Fenice of Venice, the Associazione Musicale
Etnea in Catania, the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, the Early Music Centre Pietà Deʼ Turchini in Naples, the
Bologna Festival, the musical Season at the Royaumont Abbey (Paris), the Accademia Filarmonica in Messina, the
Filarmonica Bologna, the Società Filarmonica di Trento, and many others in Bergamo, Algers, Marseille, Torino,
Maratea, Reggio Emilia, Udine, etc.
Twice weʼve been called to perform for the traditional sundayʼs concert at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, which
have been broadcast live on national radio RAI Radio 3.
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Musical Programs
Gioco di voci
Our best seller. Itʼs a concert with a huge visual and theatrical component. The repertoire comprises villanelle and French
Renaissance chansons by composers active in the second half of fifteenth century and during the sixteenth century. For
four voices a cappella, with original choreography by the Ring Around Quartet.
This is a concert-show that you should not only listen to but see as well. The four singers are not dressed in tuxedoes
standing behind music stands, but thy wear light clothes and are bare foot, wich accentuates the dance steps, acting
while they sing, playing with the music and the lyrics, making use of both movement and facial expression. In some way
they recreate the atmoshere of court entertainment, with very stricking moments, making the audience relive a music
repertoire that is often reserved only to the initiated, taking an enthusiastic, theatrical approach.
Instead of following a time or theme logic, the programme is built around rhytms, atmospheres and tones, making
listening both varied and pleasing. There are pieces by Italian, Franco-Flemish and English composers that have a
humourous tone which alternate with pieces full of lyricism and masterpieces of the French descriptive-onomatopeic
genre.
Thoinot Arbeau (c.1519-c.1595)" "
John Bennet (c.1570-c.1614)"
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Josquin Des Prés (c.1450-1521)" "
Jacques Arcadelt (c.1504-1568)" "
Johannes Ockeghem (1425-1497)" "
Sebastiano Festa (c.1495-1525)" "
Anonimo (Cancionero de Palacio, c.1500)"
Orlando di Lasso (c.1532-1594)" "
Adrian Willaert (c.1490-1562) "
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Antonio Scandello (1517-1580)"
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Thomas Ravenscroft (c.1592-c.1635)"
Claudin de Sermisy (c.1490-1562)" "
Anonimo (XV secolo)"
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Josquin Des Prés (c.1450-1521)" "
Anonimo (XVI secolo)"
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Orlando di Lasso (c.1532-1594)" "
Anonimo (Cancionero de Palacio, c.1500)"
Juan del Encina (c.1468-1529)"
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Pierre Passereau (c.1509-c.1547)" "
Belle, qui tiens ma vie " "
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The elvesʼ dance "
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El grillo è buon cantore " "
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Margot labourez les vignes "
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Sʼelle mʼamera je ne sçay ""
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Lʼultimo dì di magio"
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So ell enzina, enzina "
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Tutto lo dì "
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Madonnʼ io non lo so "
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Bonzorno madonna "
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A round of three country dances in one "
Tant que vivrai " "
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Lʼhomme armé " "
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Mille regrets "
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Mignonne, allons voir si la rose"
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Madonna mia pietà "
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Pasa el agua " "
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Fata la parte "
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Il est bel et bon
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Tutte frottole!
Italian polyphony for voices and instruments. The pieces are taken from the collections of Frottole by Petrucci published
in Venice during the first years of the XVI century. For four voices, two or three viola da gamba, flute, lute, percussions,
Renaissance guitar (9 performers). Presented at “I concerti del Quirinale” in November 2012.
Rossino Mantovano (attivo tra 1505 e 1511)"
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Lirum bililirum""
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Lʼamor, donna, chʼio te porto "
(da O. Petrucci, Frottole Libro II, Venezia 1505)
Giacomo Fogliano (1468-1548)"
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(da O. Petrucci, Frottole Libro VII, Venezia 1507)
Anonimo "
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La vida de Culin"
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Ahimé sospiri
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Su su leva, alza le ciglia "
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(Ms Montecassino 871)
Anonimo "
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(Chansonnier El Escorial IV. A. 24)
Bartolomeo Tromboncino (1470-1535)"
(da A. Antico, Frottole Libro IV, Roma 1517- elaborazione di Vera Marenco)
Francesco Patavino (1478-1556)" "
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Un cavalier di Spagna"
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Occhi miei al pianger nati
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Poi cheʼl ciel e la fortuna "
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Non è tempo dʼaspectare
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Per dolor me bagno il viso
(da Libro primo de la croce, Roma, 1526)
Anonimo "
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(da O. Petrucci, Frottole Libro II, Venezia 1505)
Anonimo"
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(da O. Petrucci, Frottole Libro VII, Venezia 1507)
Marchetto Cara (1470-1525)"
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(da Franciscus Bossiniensis, Frottole Libro I, Venezia 1509)
Marchetto Cara"
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(da O. Petrucci, Frottole Libro XI, Fossombrone 1514 - elabor. di V. Marenco)
Ioannes Baptista Zesso"
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Dʼun bel matin dʼamore
Sebastiano Festa (1490 c.-1524)" "
Adrian Willaert"
(1490-1562)" "
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Lʼultimo dì di maggio
Vecchie letrose
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Alle stamegne
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(da O. Petrucci, Frottole Libro VII)
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(da Canzone Villanesche alla Napolitana, Venezia, 1545)
Anonimo "
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(Ms Montecassino 871)
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Discography
Musiche per Van Dyck – Chanson e
Madrigali dei secoli XVI e XX
Gioco di Voci
Gioco di Voci – Chanson del XVI secolo
Philarmonia PH4A021 - Recorded in Genoa, April 2004
Rivo Alto CRR 9703 - Recorded in Genoa, 1997
Una scelta di brani di musica vocale profana del Cinquecento: chanson,
madrigali e villanelle, di compositori soprattutto franco-fiamminghi quali
Josquin, Janequin e Lasso. Dal concerto-spettacolo Gioco di voci,
presentato per la prima volta al Festival dei Due Mondi di Spoleto nel
2003.
Un progetto misto di musica antica e contemporanea, in occasione di una
mostra del pittore fiammingo Anton Van Dyck a Genova nel 1997. Tutti i
pezzi di musica antica sono di compositori rinascimentali francofiamminghi; i brani moderni sono quasi tutti poesie di Edoardo Sanguineti,
messe in musica in una varietà di stili contemporanei, ispirati a criteri
compositivi fiamminghi, da noti autori italiani e belgi quali Ennio
Morricone, Matteo DʼAmico, Raoul De Smet. Tutti i lavori contemporanei
sono prime registrazioni assolute.
Natale in canto
Review:
Once again vocal performers prove that the combination of modern and
“early” music is a felicitous one. This Italian recording presents secular
music (except for the La Rue motet) on French and Italian texts, by
Flemish and Italian composers old and new. The performances of the
Renaissance songs are very good, but the modern pieces are rendered
even more delightfully, with a rare warmth of sound to accompany
precision and balance. The modern compositions are mostly settings of
texts by Edoardo Sanguineti in a variety of contemporary styles, often
similar in sound to music by modern northerners such as Ton de Leeuw
or Daan Manneke. A thoroughly worthwhile recording. (Ted Dumitrescu,
www.medieval.org)
Volgete gli occhi a tante meraviglie
Natale in Canto
Musicaround CD001 - Recorded in Genoa, 2008.
Un viaggio nei Natali del mondo attraverso allegria e poesia, tradizione e
incanto. Brani di devozione natalizia dal Medioevo a oggi, oltre agli
immancabili classici di cui si offrono alcune reinterpretazioni in
arrangiamento contemporaneo.
... next cd (Naxos, 2014):
!
!
Tutte frottole!
Philarmonia PH4A020 - Recorded in Genoa, 2004
Una rara collezione di opere sacre e profane, molte delle quali prime
esecuzioni assolute (nellʼera moderna), tutte di autori nati o vissuti in
Liguria nei secoli XV, XVI, XVII. Realizzato in collaborazione con altri
artisti in occasione di una mostra del pittore Pietro Paolo Rubens e il suo
tempo, tenuta a Genova nellʼambito di “Genova Capitale Europea della
Cultura 2004”. Il Ring Around Quartet partecipa con lʼesecuzione di vari
madrigali, da soli o accompagnati da un coro.
Contacts:
Ring Around Quartet - Genoa, Italy
Review:
La musica di Rubens - Il Seicento in un CD Volgete gli occhi a tante
meraviglie, tratto da una raccolta di canzonette di Gasparo Fiorino, è il
titolo di un pregevole CD prodotto da Philarmonia e dedicato alla musica
a Genova nell'età di Rubens. Registrato nella Cappella di Palazzo
Ducale, il CD comprende pagine sacre e canti profani d'estremo interesse
per la loro bellezza e anche per la loro rarità. (R. Iovino)
VERA MARENCO + 39 338 1965248
www.ringaround.it
[email protected]
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