Our concert examines the musical collaboration between Jews and gentiles in 16th-18th century Europe. In this period we begin to find various forms of crossover: Jewish composers writing for gentile audiences; Jewish composers writing for Jewish audiences in the gentile style; synagogue music commissioned by Jews from Christian musicians; Christian musicians actively studying and adapting traditional Jewish music. Musicologists have recently discovered an entire Handel oratorio, Esther, rewritten in Hebrew and adapted for use by Dutch Sephardic Jews. Our program focuses in particular on the works of Salamone de' Rossi (c. 1570-1630), court composer of Mantua, colleague of Luzzaschi and Monteverdi, renowned madrigalist, pioneer of the trio sonata, and maverick innovator of synagogue music. All performances are free and open to the public.
Intermission featuring chamber music by Rossi.