Christ Church Cathedral
Artists: Profeti della Quinta, directed by Elam Rotem
At the dawn of the 17th century, two composers employed by the House of Gonzaga in Mantua signaled the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque era: Salomone Rossi (ca. 1570-ca. 1630) and Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). Both progressed with time and musical taste, and pioneered the “new” musical style with basso continuo. Moreover, they must have known each other personally and made music together: Rossi played at court where Monteverdi was the “Maestro della musica”, and the two collaborated in composing an Intermedio for the Gonzagas. Rossi’s sister, known as “Madama Europa”, was a singer who performed in Monteverdi’s opera L’Arianna and probably in other works of his as well.
This concert is generously sponsored by Birgit Westergaard & Norman Gladstone
There will be a post-concert talk and Q & A with Elam Rotem hosted by Suzie LeBlanc, C.M.
PROGRAMME
Salomone Rossi (ca. 1570-ca. 1630)
Lamnatséaḥ ‘al hagitít, Psalm 8
Elohím hashivénu, Psalm 80:4, 8, 20
Shir hama’alót, ashréy kol yeré Adonái, Psalm 128
Hashkivénu, Abendgebet
Ori Harmelin (b. 1981)
Variations on ‘La Monica’
Salomone Rossi
Cor mio, deh non languire
Udite, lacrimosi spirti d’averno
Mizmór letodá Psalm 100
Haleluyáh, Halelì nafshì ‘et ‘adonái Psalm 146
Luzzascho Luzzaschi (1545-1607)
lo veggio pur pietate
Morir non puo’l mio core
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
lo veggio pur pietate
Morir non puo’l moi core
Ori Harmelin
Passacaglia
Claudio Monteverdi
Lamento d’Arianna
Zefiro torna e’l bel tempo rimena
Profeti della Quinta
Ensemble Profeti Della Quinta focuses on the vocal repertoire of the 16th and early 17th centuries. They create vivid and expressive performances for audiences today while considering period performance practices. From its core of five male singers, the ensemble collaborates regularly with instrumentalists and guest singers. Their programmes range from explorations of the Italian madrigal to seldom-heard Jewish sacred music and more. In 2011 the ensemble won the York Early Music Young Artists Competition and has since performed in Europe, Israel, North America, China and Japan.They have released 10 albums on the Pan Classics, tiroler landes museen, Glossa, and LINN labels. Originally from the Galilee region of Israel, the group is now based in Basel, Switzerland, where they regularly collaborate with the Schola Cantorum.
Elam Rotem, music director
Profeti’s founder and musical director, Elam Rotem, is also the founder of earlymusicsources.com, an essential resource for early music manuscripts and scholarship.
Rotem was born in 1984 in Sdot Yam, Israel. During his studies at Kibbutz Kabri High School, he set up a vocal quintet with fellow scholars. This ensemble went on to become Profeti della Quinta which now performs regularly throughout Europe, North America, Israel and further abroad. Rotem studied for a Bachelor’s degree in harpsichord at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and studied for advanced degrees in basso continuo, improvisation and composition at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. He went on to complete his PhD in 2016 through Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in a joint programme with the University of Würzburg, Germany. Rotem specializes in the musical style of the 16th and 17th centuries in Italy, and his ensemble, Profeti Della Quinta, is known worldwide for their performances of the music of Jewish composer Salomone Rossi, who was the first composer to use the Western-Christian musical language to compose Hebrew prayers and psalms (The Songs of Solomon, 1623).
