Pygmalion & Raphaël Pichon

At the beginning of the 17th century, all the composers in Germany wanted to return to the Italian source: Venice. The sound architecture of the city and the triumph of polyphony cast its light far into Lutheran territory. But the Thirty Years’ War broke that dynamic. German expression became more intimate, as in Schütz’ Kleine Geistliche Konzerte, the descendants of Italian motets for solo voice and continuo. The Parisian baroque ensemble Pygmalion brings the quintessential German and Italian masters together for a large ensemble, under the banner of VERTIGO: Praetorius, Scheidt, Monteverdi and Cavalli respond to each other in a play of echoes where polyphony culminates in jubilation, exuberance and sensuality. In short, expect a celebration of the fusion that shaped European music.