Sunday 6 August at 7 p.m. Kretinga Franciscan church

Opening concert. Canto Fiorito (Lithuania)
Artistic director Rodrigo Calveyra, cornetto, recorder (Brazil/France)
Renata Dubinskaitė (mezzo-soprano), Laura Agut, Fabio de Cataldo (sackbut), Adria Gràcia Gàlvez (organ)

The Spanish Golden Age, or the "Siglo de Oro," as it is commonly known, was a period when arts and literature reached their summit in Spain, a consequence of the political rise of the Spanish Empire under the Catholic monarchs of Spain and the Spanish Habsburgs. Historians symbolically place the beginning of this period in 1492, a very significant year: the end of the "Reconquista," the retaking of the Iberian territories from the Moors, Columbus's trip to the New World, and the publication of the first Castilian language grammar. The end of the period is commonly considered in 1659, marking the end of the Franco-Spanish War.

These were very prosperous times when the arts flourished throughout the entire country. In music, the 16th century was dominated by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Cristóbal de Morales, and Francisco Guerrero, who were among the most important composers in Europe during that era.

It's worth mentioning that during that period, the Kingdom of Naples (South Italy and Sicily) belonged to the Kingdom of Aragon, one of the most powerful dynasties in Spain. As a consequence, an unprecedented cultural exchange took place between the two countries, which helped shape a unique music style found in the works of Sigismondo d’India, Giovanni Maria Trabacci, and Cataldo Amodei.

From 1556 to 1714, the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs ruled the Spanish Netherlands, a region that encompassed the territory which is nowadays the South of the Netherlands and almost the entire Belgium. Mateo Romero was a Belgium-born Spanish composer who worked as a kapellmeister in the Flemish chapel, one of the two choirs employed by King Philip II of Spain, the other being the Spanish chapel. Romero was one of the most appreciated composers of his time, known as "El maestro capitán."

"Siglo de Oro" is a program conceived to reveal the fascinating diversity of the sacred and secular music of the Spanish Golden Age.

PROGRAM

Tomás Luis de Victoria. Magnum Mysterium

Francisco Guerrero. Prado Ameno

Andrea Falconieri. Passacalle

Cristóbal de Morales. Asperges me

Mateo Romero. Corazón donde estuviste

Andrés de Sola Tiento de 1er tono

Cataldo Amodei. In solitare arene

Giovanni Maria Trabaci. Consonanze Stravaganti

Sigismondo D’India. Già mai l’alma
                                   Cosi per ben

Giovanni Maria. Trabaci Peccantem me

Sigismondo D’India. Piangono al pianger mio

Cristóbal de Morales. Circumdederunt me

Francisco Correa de Arauxo. Magnificat

Tomás Luis de Victoria Salve Regina a 8

CANTO FIORITO

Vilnius-based early music ensemble Canto Fiorito, directed by the internationally renowned cornetto and recorder player Rodrigo Calveyra, began its activity in 2013. The ensemble is dedicated to researching and performing medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music, with a special focus on the musical production of the 17th century in the Lithuanian Grand Duchy and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Canto Fiorito has performed Lithuania's musical heritage in various countries, including Norway, Austria, Slovenia, the Stockholm Early Music Festival, the festival 'Musiq'3' in Brussels, and the Namur Music Festival in Belgium. They have also performed at the "Nomemus" Festival in Sweden, "Via Mediaeval" in Germany, Pordenone Sacred Music Festival in Italy, and participated in a major European project titled "The Hanseatic Way" alongside the ensemble Musica Antiqua Salzburg. The project included concerts in Vilnius and Kaunas, as well as performances at the Brighton Early Music Festival (UK), Hanseatic Days in Rostock (Germany), festival "Jeunesse" in Vienna, "Glasperlenspiel" Festival in Tartu (Estonia), Bach Chamber Music Festival in Riga, and Amsterdam.

The ensemble places great emphasis on the regions of Lithuania and education. Canto Fiorito has conducted residencies in Paparciai (3 years) and Kintai (2 years), engaging in continuous educational and concert activities for local communities. Additionally, they implemented an international educational project titled "Lithuania Splendour" in five Lithuanian regional towns, collaborating with the ensemble Silva Norvegica.

Canto Fiorito's repertoire includes opera performances such as Alessandro Stradella's "La Circe" and Johann Sebastiani's "Pastorello musicale." In 2014, the ensemble released a CD titled "Deus Deus Meus" featuring the music of Giovanni Battista Cocciola, a composer from 17th-century Vilnius. Furthermore, in 2021, "Brilliant Classics" released the album "Barbara Strozzi. La voce sola," which Canto Fiorito recorded together with the ensemble soloist Renata Dubinskaite.