Soavi accenti: Glories of the Italian Madrigal

Join us as members of the Washington Bach Consort’s acclaimed chorus take center stage for an evening filled with harmonies that will transport you to 16th-century Italy. Madrigals originated in Italy and were in some ways the pop music of their day. Composers, including Monteverdi, wrote these animated and often daring compositions for two to eight voices, drawing from secular subject matter and texts. Thanks to traveling musicians, madrigals, with their dramatic word-painting and verve, spread throughout Europe. Composers in countries including England and Germany applied their own unique styles to the form, experimenting with new ways of using the human voice to tell stories and express emotions.