Choreographed steps, a cadence (a large jump landing with one leg ahead of the other) and a lavolta (a controversial intimate move, in which the man picks up the woman and spins her in the air, considered inappropriate by some). All these are part of the most popular Renaissance dance throughout Europe in the 16th century: the galliard.… Read more
The song of sorrow shall ring laughingly in your soul.… Read more
When the sorrow comes, blasted lie the gardens of the soul,
wither and perish joy and singing.
Dark is life, dark is death!
[…]
The heavens are ever blue and the Earth
shall stand sure, and blossom in the spring.
We’re going to start with the honourable mention of “Toccata Arpeggiata” by Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger, a composer from the early Baroque, best remembered for his lute music, being an important contributor to the development of plucked string instruments. This is a beautiful short piece, with a calming effect, that I could listen to over and over again.… Read more