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Welcome to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani. This hour, we’ll hear works related to the Duarte family, Jewish art and music patrons and practitioners who in the 16th century fled their native Portugal and settled in The Netherlands. Gaspar Duarte and his wife Catharina Rodrigues raised their six children in Antwerp, a city with its own rich musical heritage. Their prominent home hosted a number of artistic gatherings showcasing both visual arts and music. Several of their children were amateur musicians who played at the Duarte family’s musical house parties and had connections to prominent musicians all over Europe. We’ll hear music for voices, viols, and other instruments from places significant to Duarte’s family, including Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, and England.

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MUSIC TRACK
At the sign of the crumhorn: Flemish songs and dance music from the Susato music books
Convivium Musicum Gothenburgense
Naxos 2000 / 8.554425
Lupus Hellinck (c. 1496–1541)
Tr.1 Compt alle uut (1:39)
Anon., arr. Susato
Tr.3 Den III Ronde - Den VI Ronde - Les quartre Branles (2:54)
Tr.15 Anonymous: Ronde IV-I-VI (excerpt of 2:28)

Convivium Musicum Gothenburgense performed Compt alle uut by Lupus Hellinck followed by a set of anonymous dance pieces, all published by Tielman Susato, who utilized the new 16th century technology of single impression letterpress printing at his renowned music printing shop in Antwerp, located quote “at the sign of the crumhorn,” /a Renaissance wind instrument.

The music we are hearing this week—and later, our featured release--are inspired by the story of the Duarte family: several generations of art and music patrons and practitioners who lived in Portugal, where Jewish populations thrived in the 13th and 14th centuries. This was also a time of abundant musical activity in Portugal, as several of its kings were also troubadours who wrote courtly love poetry to be sung. King Dinis, who reigned from 1279-1325, wrote a collection of seven love songs in addition to growing Lisbon as an artistic and intellectual hub.

MUSIC TRACK
Cantigas from the court of Dom Dinis devotional, satirical & courtly medieval love songs
Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier, director
Harmonia Mundi 1995 / HMU 907129
Dom Dinis, King of Portugal
Tr.8 Sete cantigas d'amor de D. Dinis, I. Pois que vos Deus, amigo, quer guisar (4:06)

[The first of Sete cantigas d'amor by Portuguese King Dinis performed by Paul Hillier, voice, and Margriet Tindemans, vielle.]

The Duarte family and their long association with the arts and music of Portugal changed course with events that corresponded with those in neighboring Spain. By the end of the 15th century, Jews faced increasing hostility from governments in Spain. In 1492, all the Jews and Muslims in Spain were given the choice to convert or leave, an event known as the Expulsion. Many fled to Portugal; but just a few years later in 1496, the Portuguese king also signed a decree that all Jews must convert to Christianity or leave by 1497. Many Jews left at this time, but others, including the Duarte family converted to Christianity. Some families converted in name only, while continuing Jewish practices in secret. These recent converts to Christianity continued to face persecution, tense political situations, and violence in the 16th century, which intensified with the start of the Portuguese inquisition in 1536. Around 1571, Diego Duarte the First moved his family to Antwerp to escape this environment, and to pursue better business opportunities in the jewelry trade.

Another Sephardic family expelled from Spain was the Lupo family of musicians. Several of the string players went to Milan and Venice, where they came to the attention of the English court as a result of Queen Elizabeth I’s taste for Italian music and musicians. They were recruited to work for the English courts; and at least one family member, Joseph Lupo, was both a member of the musician’s guild in Antwerp AND worked for the English nobility. His relative Thomas Lupo wrote viol consorts that mimic the imitative writing of late 16th-century Italian madrigals as well as English consort music traditions, reflecting the varied musical styles of his family’s journey.

MUSIC TRACK
Thomas Lupo Fantasias for Viols
Fretwork
Signum Classics 2022 / SIGCD716
Thomas Lupo
Tr.17 Fantasia a 5 No. 33, "Oh che vezzosa" (2:26)
Tr.8 Fantasia a 6 No. 2 (3:45)
Tr.19 Fantasia a 6 No. 5 (3:44)

Three fantasias by Thomas Lupo, performed by viol consort Fretwork on their recent album of all of Lupo’s fantasias.

Salamone Rossi was another prominent Jewish composer who worked in Italy in the late 16th to early 17th century. Rossi had a successful career working for the Mantuan court, and composed in many popular instrumental and vocal genres of the time. Additionally, he set some elements of Jewish liturgy to polyphony which were published with the Hebrew text in 1622.

MUSIC TRACK
Birds on fire Jewish music for viols
Fretwork with Jeremy Avis, voice
Harmonia Mundi 2008 / HMU 907478
Salamone Rossi (arr. Fretwork)
Tr.2 Hashirim asher lish'lomo (The Songs of Solomon): Hashkivenu (3:01)

Hashkivenu by Salamone Rossi arranged for viol consort and solo voice, performed by Fretwork with Jeremy Avis, voice.

You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.

(1:00) Mid Break

MUSIC TRACK
Birds on fire Jewish music for viols
Fretwork
Harmonia Mundi 2008 / HMU 907478
Anon.
Tr.3 Lumley Books: Desperada

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Welcome back… this hour we’re listening to music connected to the house of Duarte, a family of Sephardic Jewish origin who for several generations were known for their participation in, and patronage of, visual arts and music, with ties to Portugal, England, and the Netherlands.

By the early 17th century, the Duarte family had established themselves as a prominent merchant family and patrons of the arts in Antwerp. They hosted musical house parties in their lavish home. Their jewelry trade gave them connections to many courts in Europe, the musicians active at these courts, and their various musical styles. The Netherlandish interest in musical puzzles, for example, can be found in Philip van Wilder’s Fantasia con pause et senza pause, a fantasia that can be played with or without the musical rests.

MUSIC TRACK
Birds on fire Jewish music for viols
Fretwork
Harmonia Mundi 2008 / HMU 907478
Philip van Wilder
Tr.14 Fantasia con pause et senza pause (3:40)

MUSIC TRACK
Music from the golden age of Rembrandt
Musica Amphion
Brilliant Classics 2007 / BC95917
Cornelis Schuyt
Tr.3 12 Padovane et altretante gagliarde: Padovane and Gagliarda 10 (del dodeci modo), Canzona la barca (2:07)

Music by Dutch composers: Fretwork played Philip van Wilder’s Fantasia con pause et senza pause followed by Cornelis Schuyt’s Canzona la barca performed by Musica Amphion.

The Duarte family had such strong ties to English musicians that their Antwerp home became a welcome respite for musicians when they were in trouble with their home court. One of these was English composer Nicholas Lanier, who had been the first ever Master of the King’s Music for Charles the First of England for around 17 years. He came to stay with the Duartes during a self-imposed exile after being arrested with family members for supposed disorderly behavior in the street at the start of the English Civil War. Lanier described his state of mind in the Netherlands to fellow composer and poet Constantijn Huygens as quote “old, unhappye in a manner in exile, plundered not only of his fortune, but of all his musicall papers, nay, almost of his witts and vertue.” Lanier returned to England in 1660 to work for Charles the Second.

MUSIC TRACK
What Artemisia heard: music and art from the time of Caravaggio and Gentileschi
El Mundo; Richard Savino, director
Dorian Sono Luminos 2015 / DSL-92195
Nicholas Lanier
Tr.20 Symphonia in G Major (1:32)
Tr.21 No More Shall Meads be Deck's with Flow'rs (3:36)
Tr.22 Thou I Am Young (1:59)

The ensemble El Mundo under the direction of Richard Savino performed Nicholas Lanier’s Symphonia in G Major, followed by two of his songs: “No More Shall Meads be Deck'd with Flow'rs” and “Tho I Am Young.”

You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.

This hour’s featured recording carries our theme forward with a recording entitled The Duarte circle: Antwerp 1640 by the ensemble Transports Publics, directed by Thomas Baeté, released on the Musica Ficta label in 2018. The album reconstructs repertory that might well have been heard at the Duarte’s musical house parties, including pieces by their friends, musicians from courts they traded with, and compositions by the most noted composer in the family, Leonora Duarte.

Many letters were exchanged between members of the Duarte family and the composer, poet, and diplomat Constantijn Huygens, which demonstrate how closely connected the family was to the highest intellectual and artistic circles in Antwerp.

MUSIC TRACK
The Duarte circle: Antwerp 1640
Transports Publics, dir. Thomas Baeté
Musica Ficta 2018 / MF8028
Constantijn Huygens
Tr.12 Orsa bella e crudele (1:45)

The ensemble Transports Publics performed a song by Constantijn Huygens—"Orsa bella e crudele,” from the album, The Duarte circle: Antwerp 1640.

Composer and viola da gamba player Leonora Duarte was the eldest child of Gaspar Duarte and Catharina Rodrigues. Leonora’s five extant works are for 5-part viol consort and were given the title sinfonie. Some of her works are based on pre-existing compositions, like a ricercar for keyboard based on one by Italian composer Girolamo Frescobaldi, who visited Antwerp in 1608.

MUSIC TRACK
The Duarte circle: Antwerp 1640
Transports Publics, dir. Thomas Baeté
Musica Ficta 2018 / MF8028
Leonora Duarte (based on Girolamo Frescobaldi)
Tr.16 Sinfonia de octavi toni (1:58)

Transports Publics performed Leonora Duarte’s Sinfonia de octavi toni, based on Frescobaldi’s Canzona “La Bianchina” on this hour’s featured recording The Duarte circle: Antwerp 1640.
Like many viol consort composers, Leonora incorporated a cantus firmus, or pre-existing melody line, into some of her works. The source of the bass cantus firmus line of Duarte’s Sinfonia de secondi toni is unknown, but the ensemble’s director Thomas Baeté has set the cantus firmus melody with lyrics from a traditional Sephardic Passover melody from Portugal, titled El paso del Mar Rojo.

MUSIC TRACK
The Duarte circle: Antwerp 1640
Transports Publics, dir. Thomas Baeté
Musica Ficta 2018 / MF8028
Leonora Duarte
Tr.19 Sinfonia de secondi toni (3:45)
Traditional? (Leonora Duarte, arr. Thomas Baeté)
Tr.20 El paso del mar rojo (5:10)

Ensemble Transports Publics performed Leonora Duarte’s Sinfonia de secondi toni with a resetting of that sinfonia’s bass line to the Passover text El paso del mar rojo, from our featured recording, The Duarte circle: Antwerp 1640.

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Harmonia is a production of WFIU and part of the educational mission of Indiana University.

Support comes from Early Music America: a national organization that advocates and supports the historical performance of music of the past, the community of artists who create it, and the listeners whose lives are enriched by it. On the web at EarlyMusicAmerica-dot-org.

Additional resources come from the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

We welcome your thoughts about any part of this program, or about early music in general. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org. You can follow us on Facebook by searching for Harmonia Early Music.

The writer for this edition of Harmonia is Devon Nelson.

Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: LuAnn Johnson, Aaron Cain, and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, inviting you to join us again for the next edition of Harmonia.

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