The vocal and instrumental
Victoria Ensemble
is focused mainly on early music.
Victoria Ensemble society runs also international vocal music festival
Voices of three worlds and other musical activities of Viktorie Kaplanová.

Music and Dance of the renaissance Prague

As guest: Chorea Historica

J. Regnart, Ph. de Monte, O. di Lasso T. Arbeau. C. Negri, F. Caroso etc.

In this programme we remain devoted to Prague during the reign of Rudolf II. At this time we present exclusively the secular music – madrigals, songs and popular dances of Mannerist Prague.

Cast: 8 singers, 2 dancers, 2 flutes, viola da gamba, theorbo, harpsichord

Programme duration: 60 minutes

l’Amfiparnaso

As guest: Teatro Comico

Orazio Vecchi (1550–1605)

The work of the Modena composer Orazio Vecchi is a remarkable manifestation of the traditional Italian music theatre of the late Renaissance. It is subtitled “comedia harmonica”, for which we now use the term “madrigal comedy”. The main protagonists of this genre were the characters from the traditional commedia dell’ arte. L’Amfiparnaso with its own scenery, costumes and authorial masks is presented in cooperation with the theatre company Teatro Comico. We offer the initial madrigal verses in original Italian or Czech and English translations.

Cast: 5 singers, 4 actors,  viola da gamba, theorbo, harpsichord

Programme duration: 60 minutes

The Muse of Versailles

As guest: En Garde!

J. B. Lully, M. Lambert, M.-R. Delalande, A. Campra, L.-N. Clérambault etc.

Here we cooperate with En Garde!, whose main focus is French Baroque dance which is sensitively connected with the vocal and instrumental component in a compact authorial performance which according to the contemporary model, pays homage to Louis XIV, the “Sun King”.

Cast: Viktorie Kaplanová | soprano, 5 dancers, flute, violin, theorbo, viola da gamba, harpsichord

Programme duration: 60 minutes

The Rush of Paris, The Song of London

Clément Janequin, John Dowland

We are connecting the concert of renaissance music with live digital painting. Eight singers a capella are performing Clément Janequin’s French program chansons where themes like: War, Bird´s song, rush of Paris etc., are compiled using existing and made-up words, sounds and interjections. Those stories of Janequin´s compositions are ‘told’ by Scottish painter Frances Sander right upon the wall behind the singers. This project is accompanied by a drummer Jan Šikl on the improvised set of percussion. Opposite to this specific French composer we are putting the famous author of the English renaissance John Dowland, with his melodic and melancholic songs.

Cast: 8 singers, Jan Šikl | percussion, Frances Sander | live videomapping

Programme duration: 60 min