Theory (1 hour an a half per week)
Studies drawn from a variety of disciplines (history, musicology, poetry, literature, art) come together to deepen awareness of the context in which Madrigals arose. Attention will also be paid to the trends in sacred music that paralleled the evolution of the madrigal. Special light will be thrown on Siena’s role as a cultural crossroads.
Practicum: Musical Laboratory (3 hours and a half per week)
A group of motivated singer-participants will prepare and perform madrigals, rediscovering along the way the many pleasures to be found within this incomparable art form.
We will listen to, learn, and rehearse pieces for anything from two to six male and female vocal parts, depending upon the number of participants.
Though the course will focus primarily on Italian pieces, we will also investigate works by English composers to give participants a more immediate feel for the intimate connection between words and music.
The pieces we study will be drawn from the works of such great madrigal-composers as Monteverdi, Marenzio, Arcadelt, Verdelot, Di Lasso, Gesualdo, Vecchi, Banchieri, Morley, Bennet, and Wilbye, as well as less famous but equally gifted composers from Siena itself.
Choral Practice (4 hours per week)
The students will join the Polifonici Senesi choir. This chorus has been an important part of Siena's musical landscape for the past 25 years. It has performed throughout Italy, its repertoire spanning everything from Renaissance sacred and secular music to contemporary works. Students will take part in the twice-weekly rehearsals which last for 2 hours each (9.30 - 11:30 pm), and will sing in all scheduled concerts. Chorus director Raffaele Puccianti will hold entry auditions to place students in the appropriate voice section and to verfity their musical capabilities.