This program portrays the many-faceted art of Salomone Rossi, who was a court composer in the service of the Gonzaga family and a uniquely innovative composer of Jewish liturgical music.

Although overshadowed by the works of his colleague and collaborator Claudio Monteverdi, Rossi’s madrigals are beautiful and refined examples of the Genre. They also feature an important milestone in music history: Rossi’s Primo libro di Madrigali á 5 (1600) includes the first known printed intabulation for the chitarrone – also known as the theorbo. This novelty creates a bridge between the 16^th century polyphonic Madrigal and the new musical style of the early 17^th century.

Alongside his prolific ‘secular’ activities, Rossi, being Jewish, revolutionized the music of the Synagogue by introducing polyphonic settings of Hebrew prayers and psalms. These Hebrew works are characterized by their elegant simplicity; yet at times Rossi employs in them madrigal-like techniques in order to heighten the emotions of his listeners. The program also includes a few compositions by Elam Rotem, which are inspired by Rossi, both in terms of musical style and of the choice of a biblical text in Hebrew.

The music of Salomone Rossi has played a significant role in the work of Profeti della Quinta since the group’s foundation. The native Hebrew speaking singers, who specialize in the music of the Italian Baroque, have an immediate connection to Salomone Rossi as a Jewish Italian composer.

Program

Profeti della Quinta

Ensemble Profeti della Quinta was founded in the Galilee region of Israel by the bass singer and harpsichordist Elam Rotem, and is based in Basel, Switzerland, where its members undertook further studies of early music at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Focusing on repertoire from the 16^th and early 17^th centuries, the ensemble aims to create vivid and expressive performances for audiences today, while at the same time considering period performance practices. Another goal of the ensemble is performing and researching hitherto neglected works, such as Emilio de’ Cavalieri’s Lamentations (1600) and Salomone Rossi’s Hashirim asher li’Shlomo (1623), the first publication of polyphony in Hebrew.

In 2011 the ensemble won the York Early Music Young Artists Competition, and has since performed in Europe, Israel, North America, China and Japan. It gave concerts in prominent festivals and venues such as Oude Muziek Festival Utrecht, Beethovenfest Bonn, London Festival of Baroque Music, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Shanghai Concert Hall.

The ensemble’s CD recordings are warmly received by public and critics alike. These include recordings dedicated to the music by Salomone Rossi (two CDs), Luzzasco Luzzaschi, Orlando di Lasso, Claudio Monteverdi, the anonymous composer Carlo G, Phillipe Verdelot, and others. Profeti della Quinta are also featured in the documentary film Hebreo: The Search for Salomone Rossi by Joseph Rochlitz, filmed in Mantua, Italy. The ensemble has premiered and recorded two large-scale works composed especially for it by Elam Rotem: the biblical drama Joseph and his Brethren and the motet collection Quia amore langueo. Both works employ Hebrew texts taken directly from the bible, and were composed in the musical language of the early Italian Baroque.
quintaprofeti.com

COVID-19 Protocols  |  albertavaccinerecord.ca

Proof of double vaccination is required to enter the Robertson-Wesley United Church for guests 12 years of age and older. Masking is required for all indoor performances for guests over the age of two years old.

Accepted forms of double vaccination proof include:

• Electronic or paper records including those provided via the My Health Records app or website.
• Vaccine cards from the Government of Alberta
• The paper form provided by healthcare providers at the time of vaccination
• Official proofs issued by other provincial, territorial, or federal governments

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