La voce del cornetto

Wednesday April 21, 2010, 8:00 pm

Palais Montcalm

995, place d’Youville, Quebec City, Québec
Tickets: 418-641-6040, 1-877-641-6040
Venue’s web site at palaismontcalm.ca

Thursday April 22, 2010, 8:00 pm

Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours

400, rue Saint-Paul Est [métro Champ-de-Mars], Vieux-Montréal, Québec
Venue’s web site at marguerite-bourgeoys.com

Regular: $28.00
Senior: $23.00
Student: $10.00

Italian and German music of the 18th century. With William Dongois, cornetto

The cornetto — whose sound was often described as lascivissimo, and was considered to equal only the violin’s as the best imitation of the human voice — was popular from about the middle of the 16th to the end of the 17th century. Its mouthpiece was like that of a brass instrument; its wooden body was slightly curved and sometimes covered in leather; and it was fingered like a recorder. The resulting sound combined sweetness with penetration and irresistible sensuality. This was the ideal instrument on which to perform the new virtuosic and expressive music of the Baroque.