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Ciaramella
Ciaramella
Ciaramella brings to life Medieval and early Renaissance music from historical events and manuscripts. Praised for performing intricate fifteenth-century counterpoint "with the ease of jazz musicians improvising on a theme," its members are united by the conviction that every composition conceals a rich story waiting to be unlocked through historical research and speculative performance.
Founded on a core of winds: shawm, sackbut, recorder, bagpipe, and voice, Ciaramella takes its name from the Italian shawm and from a fifteenth-century song about abeautiful girl whose clothes are full of holes. When she opens her mouth, she knocks men flat. Ciaramella's members met as graduate students at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. They first performed together on Christmas Day 2003, in Spoleto, Italy. There they collaborated with musicologist Gioia Filocamo to perform music from the manuscript Panciatichi 27, much of which had not been heard for centuries. In 2004, the group performed in a staged production of the first Hebrew play, A Comedy of Betrothal by Leone de'Sommi (c.1550) at the
Cleveland Museum of Art.
Ciaramella has since performed for the Bloomington Early Music Festival, Oberlin's Baroque Performance Institute, the Lute Society of America, the American Musicological Society in Seattle, and on early music series in Cleveland, San Francisco, and San Diego. They have performed for Columbus Early Music in Ohio, Seattle's Early Music Guild, and continue to perform in Los Angeles for the Da Camera Society's music series, “Chamber Music in Historic Sites." Ciaramella was a finalist in the 2003 Flanders Festival International Young Artist's Presentation and in the 2004 Medieval/ Renaissance Early Music America competition in New York. The group made its debut appearance to sold out crowds at the Tage Alter Musik Festival in Regensburg, Germany in Spring 2007.
This season the group has performed at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Early Music Society of the Islands in Victoria, BC, made its New York debut at Music Before 1800 and performed for the Connecticut Early Music Festival.
As first runner-up in the 2003 Early Music America competition, Ciaramella recorded its first CD for Naxos entitled "Sacred and Secular Music from Renaissance Germany," which was released in January 2006. Their second CD under the Yarlung Records Label will be released this fall.
PRESS REFERENCES
“A keen blend of historical authority and sheer panache”
"Everyone in this exceptional octet of early musicians exudes joy and purpose while weaving polyphonic lines with uncommon esprit de corps."
(Donald Rosenberg, The Cleveland Plain Dealer , Nov 2, 2004)
“Although late 15th-century counterpoint is exceptionally intricate, the Ciaramella players performed it with the ease of jazz musicians improvising on a theme.”
(Wilma Salisbury, The Cleveland Plain Dealer , June 26, 2004)
“One of the finest ensembles in the world today for this special repertoire.”
(Rebekah Ahrendt, The San Francisco Classical Voice, January 16, 2006)
“A model of consort playing for all to notice.”
(American Recorder Magazine, September, 2006)
REPERTOIRE
A Piper's Noël
Ciaramella celebrates shepherds and the Chrismas music they inspired. With voices and wind instruments (shawm, sackbut, recorders, and bagpipes), they’ll pipe and sing songs of praise. For centuries, the annunciation to the shepherds from Luke 2:8-15 has provided inspiration for musical works, from humble pipers' tunes to grand Renaissance polyphony. Ciaramella, the American wind, brass and vocal ensemble, taps this resource for its Christmas program that includes carols, hymns, lullabies and instrumental pieces from England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany.
The Musical Treasures of the Medici Popes
Transport yourself to Renaissance Rome as a majestic church provides an inspiring setting for music by Josquin, Isaac and other composers who furnished music for papal Rome at the height of its political power. Singers, shawms, sackbuts and recorders will bring this music to vivid life in a splendid sanctuary encompassing the many architectural styles one often finds layered in the churches of Rome, from Early Christian to Renaissance and Baroque.
Wär ich ein Falk, "Were I a Falcon I would soar on high"
Music for shawms, recorders, sackbutts, trumpets, bagpipes, organ, and high voices, from manuscripts at the crossroads of Europe: The Magister Leopold Codex, the Apel Codex, and Berlin 40021. Works by Josquin Desprez, Jacob Obrecht, and music from Heinrich Isaac's recently identified Missa Je ne fay plus.
Music of Composers from Liège and Burgundy, 1400-1477
Ciaramella presents a concert of music from the diaspora of composers from Liège, spanning from the reign of the first dukes of Burgundy in the 14th century to the death in battle of Charles the Bold in 1477. Compositions by Johannes Ciconia, Hugo de Lantins, Nicholas Grenon, Johannes Brassart, Paulus de Rhoda, and others. Performed on alta capella ensemble of shawms and slide trumpets, a soft consort of recorders and organ.
Pipers from Over the Mountains
Throughout the 15th century, musicians from northern Europe traveled south to sing, play, compose, and teach in Italy, as abundantly illustrated in Italian manuscripts. In the spirit of the great alta capella wind ensembles of the day, Ciaramella performs chansons, motets, and dances on loud and soft wind instruments, alongside ornamental organ settings.
Burgundian
Ciaramella presents a concert of music from the diaspora of composers from Liège, spanning from the reign of the first dukes of Burgundy in the 14th century to the death in battle of Charles the Bold in 1477. Compositions by Johannes Ciconia, Hugo and Arnold de lantins, Johannes Brassart, Paulus de Rhoda, and others.
An Imaginary Procession
Music for the town wind band at the end of the 16th century during the final flourishing of the shawm and the ascendancy of the cornetto. Motets, madrigals, and chansons of Flemish composers Giaches de Wert, Jean de Castro, Phillipe Rogier, and Andreas Pevernage represent the culmination of a polyphonic art ideally suited for cornetto, shawms, sackbuts, and dulcian.
Scenes from A Comedy of Betrothal
Fully staged Purin play by Leone de' Sommi (c.1550). This first play in the Hebrew language blends Talmudic wisdom, kaballah, and Commedia dell'Arte, with a cast of lovers, clowns, musicians, and an ass.
Egmond Abbey Easter Play
Fully staged production of the 15th century Flemish Easter play from Egmond Abbey. Based on the famous quem quaeritas dialogue of the three Marys, this production stages the Resurrection to archaic chant of Dutch abbeys and 15th century fauxbourdon.
"Chiamo l'uccelo"
Music from the Ms. Panciatichi 27
Sacred and Secular programs from the Italian repertoire in MS Panciatichi 27. Instruments and voices perform polyphony of masters Josquin, Isaac, and Obrecht alongside new Italian forms destined to rule the musical life of the 16th century. dialogue of the three Marys, this production stages the Resurrection to archaic chant of Dutch abbeys and 15th century fauxbourdon.
DISCOGRAPHY
Sacred and Secular Music from Renaissance Germany: Ciaramella Instrumental and Vocal Ensemble, Naxos, 2006
2nd CD to be distributed Fall 2008 on Yarlung Records
AWARDS
Ciaramella was a finalist in the 2003 Flanders Festival International Young Artist’s Presentation and in the 2004 Medieval/Renaissance Early Music America competition in New York. As first runner-up in the 2003 Early Music America competition, Ciaramella recorded its début CD “Wär ich ein Falk” on the Naxos label in June 2004.
