The Rienzi displays Juan Pantoja de la Cruz’s impressive, life-size portrait of Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain. Margaret was the daughter of Archduke Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria and married Felipe III of Spain. Already her by-proxy wedding with Felipe III of Spain, which took place in Ferrara, Italy, entered music history: Italian composer Giovanni Artusi used the setting of a musical performance for the Queen to begin one of the most notorious controversies in music history, pointing out flaws in some of the current composers of his time, chiefly C. Monteverdi. Monteverdi was also among the musicians who played for Margaret in Mantua, where she attended an important performance of Il pastor fido, a hotly debated pastoral tragicomedy by G. B. Guarini. Many madrigal composers of the time set texts from the play to music.
Upon arriving at the court of Madrid, the newly crowned queen found an active musical scene fostered by her father-in-law, Felipe II. Her husband, Felipe III, was also an avid supporter of music and continued the development of the court chapel begun by his father. In fact, he loved to play the viol himself. One of his important initiatives was the creation of a permanent group of chamber musicians, singers, and instrumentalists (among them the composer Juan Blas de Castro), resulting in secular music being played much more at court. He also brought a group of violinists from Milan whose main function was to provide music for dancing, of which the king was fond. Among the favored instruments at court was the guitar, often played by chapel master Mateo Romero himself.
Our program tells the musical story of Margaret of Austria, from her birth in Graz, Austria, to her travel to Spain and her life at the court of Madrid. Our vocal ensemble of five singers, accompanied by harpsichord, lute, and Baroque guitar, performs ensemble and solo music while director Mario Aschauer tells Margaret’s story. The program includes selections by Luzzaschi, Monteverdi, Romero, Victoria, Castro, etc., with Italian, Latin, and Spanish text.
Seating at Rienzi is limited and there may not be any tickets for sale at the door!
Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain: A Musical Biography
Birth and Youth in Graz
Francesco Rovigo (1541/42–1597): Liete le muse
Alessandro Bontempo (1586/87–1625): Quam breve festum
Wedding and Travel to Spain
Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643): Cruda Amarilli
Raffaella Aleotti (1570–after 1646): Facta est cum Angelo
Simone Molinaro (c1570–after 1633): Porgetemi la lira
Cesare Negri (c. 1536–1602): Brando
Life and Death in Spain
Francisco Guerriero (1528–1599): Requiem aeternam (Graduale)
Mateo Romero (c. 1575–1647): Ay que me muero de zelos and A la dulce risa del alva
P. A. Giramo – F. Lombardi – G. M. Trabaci – G. Spiardo: Delizie di Posilipo Boscarecce e Maritime
Claudio Monteverdi: Dixit Dominus