Naples was in the 16th and 17th century a fountainhead of artistic activity. With its lively debating culture and its wealthy patronage the city attracted famous artists. Music flourished first and foremost at the royal chapel and at the chapel of la Santa Casa dell’Annunziata. When at the beginning of the 17th century the classical forms of the renaissance started fading, innovative alternatives were offered by composers such as Jean de Macque, Giovanni Maria Trabaci, Ascanio Mayone and Girolamo Frescobaldi. Their repertoire consciously distorts reality by magnifying the bizarre and the obscure. However, above all this Neapolitan music is characterized by a mature sensitivity that translates everything into subtle elegance: the ultimate elegance of mannerism.

Performers
Jean-Marc Aymes, harpsichord & organ | Mara Galassi, triple harp

Programme
Jean de Macque, Giovanni Maria Trabaci, Ascanio Mayone & Girolamo Frescobaldi

 

10 October, 2010 13:00 -- AMUZ

A one week immersion in music for children of primary school and subsequently having them write and perform compositions of their own: that is the immodest purpose of the project weeks Children are born composers. The pupils of the Arthur school in the Antwerp precinct of Borgerhout are during this week inspired by Frédéric Chopin’s piano music and his life in its context. Surely meeting ‘ami d’AMUZ’ Claire Chevallier is bound to make their musical hearts beat faster. During this public presentation you are invited to see and hear the result of this musical week as well as a video montage about the proceedings.

in collaboration with De Veerman & Arthurschool Borgerhout

15 October, 2010 12:00 -- AMUZ

With ‘amie d’AMUZ’ Claire Chevallier you are welcome to discover Frédéric Chopin’s piano oeuvre. Saturday morning she explores didactic aspects of Chopin’s new piano technique: exactly where was he innovative, what made his piano technique so unique? In the afternoon she teaches a master class for piano students from the conservatory as well as graduated pianists who want to experience Chopin on an original Erard from 1842 or a copy of a Pleyel from 1843. Also for you as listeners these experiences will open a new world.

in collaboration with Musica, impulse centre for music

Do you want to participate actively as a student of the conservatory or as a professional pianist? Here you can find more information
 

16 October, 2010 11:00 -- AMUZ

At the beginning of the 19th century the Irish composer John Field and his contemporaries kneaded the nocturne into a more or less delineated genre. Mood-pictures, lyrical melodies, wide arpeggio chords evoking the harp: all those elements contributed to the creation of a nocturnal sphere. Moreover the emotional and dramatic import of the nocturne was enhanced by the intensive use of the piano pedal. The genre reached a climax in the virtuoso hands of Frédéric Chopin, and under his influence became an essential part of the romantic music repertoire. On the occasion of the Chopin Year ‘ami d’AMUZ’ Claire Chevallier takes two top instruments from her private collection to our venue, an original Erard from 1842 and a copy of a Pleyel from1843. In the period sound boxes of these instruments the brilliant nocturnes of the Polish master will regain their haven!

Performers
Claire Chevallier, piano

Programme
Frédéric Chopin: Nocturnes, opus 9 nrs. 1, 2, 3 – Nocturnes, opus 15 nrs. 2, 3 – Nocturne, opus 27 nr. 1 – Scherzo, opus 31 nr. 2 – Polonaise-fantaisie, opus 61

 

17 October, 2010 13:00 -- AMUZ

Visual artists Ief Spincemaille and Wies Hermans designed an installation that investigates the physiognomic aspects and attitudes of contemporary people. In the performance Ecce Homo this installation – a spherical object with remote control – gets the central role. The ball performs different actions that refer to the idea of moving and being moved, of action and passion. Zefiro Torna takes care of the live soundtrack. You will hear madrigals, solo arias and extracts from early Italian baroque operas and oratorios, music by Claudio Monteverdi and contemporaries such as Francesco Cavalli, Giacomo Carissimi and Luigi Rossi. This intriguing performance with ‘ami d’AMUZ’ Jurgen De bruyn is based on the baroque themes of the temperaments, of human physiognomy and of clair-obscur. 

Performers
Cécile Kempenaers, soprano | Griet de Geyter, mezzo soprano | Petra Noskaiová, alto | Kevin D. Skelton, tenor | Matthew Baker, baritone | Marleen Leicher, recorder & cornett | Romina Lischka, viol | Bart Naessens, harpsichord | Jurgen De bruyn, archlute, theorbo, baroque guitar & artistic direction 

Programme
Claudio Monteverdi, Luigi Rossi, Francesco Cavalli, Giacomo Carissimi, Andrea Falconiero a.o.
 

21 October, 2010 19:00 -- AMUZ

Probably there is no match for the Bach family from Thuringia in Germany in terms of producingso many outstanding musicians and composers. The Bachs were musically active from the mid-16th century throught the latter half of the 19th century. In other words: the  diversity of interesting Bach music is inconceivable. Too great a choice then for Peter Van  Heyghen, but eventually he managed to put together an excellent concert programme with compositions of three major baroque Bachs. Pride of place is given to a few famous works for orchestra by – how could it be otherwise – Johann Sebastian. There will also be music by his nephew Johann Bernhard, whose suites emulate the music of Georg Philipp Telemann. And to cap it all the residents of AMUZ bring two symphonies of Sebastian’s second son Carl Philipp Emanuel, who also happened to be Telemann’s godchild. 

Performers
Peter Van Heyghen, artistic direction
 

24 October, 2010 13:00 -- AMUZ