Music, Faith, & Power in the Baroque World

The courts, churches, and noble households of seventeenth-century Europe were vibrant centers of artistic experimentation, where music served as both spiritual expression and political spectacle. Drawing on the repertoire performed by ACRONYM and countertenor Reginald Mobley, this lecture introduces participants to the rich musical world of the early Baroque. Through works by Monteverdi, Leonarda, Sances, Bertali, and others, we will examine how composers navigated the intersections of devotion, drama, and authority during a period of profound cultural transformation. Participants will also explore the rise of the countertenor voice, the emergence of new expressive styles, and the enduring influence of this remarkable era on Western musical culture.

Featured Concert Repertoire to be Explored:
Bertali: Sonata in A8 in A Minor
Valentini: Hodie Christus Natus Est
Isabella Leonarda: O dulce nomen Jesu
Harmonia Romana (Anonymous)
Bembo: Per il Natale
Leopold I: Morte à Christo
Leopold I: Gavotte di S.M.C.
Sances: Pianto della Madonna
Leopold I: Ciacona di S.M.C.
Monteverdi: Lamento d'Arianna
Strozzi: L'amante segreto
Vivaldi: Nisi Dominus, Cum Dederit

Taught by Juilliard faculty and Chair of Music History Jonathan Yaeger.