LÄHELLE: From the living room to the stage – the journey of the Italian madrigal

Helsinki Chamber Choir:
Linnéa Sundfær Casserly ja Hanna Lammi, soprano
David Hackston, alto
Mats Lillhannus ja Martti Anttila, tenor
Jussi Linnanmäki, bass

Finnish Baroque Orchestra:
Irma Niskanen and Dora Asterstad, violin
Tatu Ahola, cello
Matias Häkkinen, harpsichord and organ
Eero Palviainen, theorbo and leading

“You never die nor languish, but brief is the glory of your fire.”

In madrigal art, poetry and polyphonic singing were combined, and the performance of music and poetry was an essential part of every noble family's dinner entertainment. As a musical genre, the madrigal began to develop in the early 16th century, and by the end of the century, composers could be counted in the hundreds and songs in the thousands.

The colorful and captivating madrigals of 17th-century composers such as Claudio Monteverdi and Barbara Strozzi explored the highs and lows of love—its humor, joy, passion, and pain—through expressive works for singers and instrumentalists. In these dramatic compositions, just a small step away from opera, the madrigal had come a long way from its origins as music performed in the home.

Monteverdi’s (1567–1643) Lamento della Ninfa (The Nymph’s Lament) is one of his most beloved compositions, as is the evocative Or che’l ciel e la terra. The Venetian Strozzi (1619–1677), in turn, was one of the most renowned female composers of her time, publishing an extensive body of works in the newer, more concertante style. In addition to Monteverdi and Strozzi, the concert will feature compositions by Salamone Rossi, Luca Marenzio, Maddalena Casulana, and Francesca Caccini.

The concerts are part of the Helsinki Chamber Choir’s and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra’s Close to you tour project, implemented with the support of the Finnish Cultural Foundation. The goal of the project, which will continue until 2026, is to support the national availability of culture by taking the performances of a professional Baroque orchestra and a professional chamber choir to places where something similar is rarely available.

In collaboration with The Finnish Baroque Orchestra

Tickets: 25/15 € from Helsinki Chamber Choir’s Holvi online ticket shop