The Stylus Fantasticus as Musica Transalpina

Tesserae presents a program that explores the influence of the new Italian instrumental styles on Austrian and southern German music in the seventeenth century. The title is borrowed from a famous collection of Italian madrigals published in England, and can be taken to refer, in a general sense, to Italian music that “traveled” over the Alps into northern Europe. The new Italian style – called the “stylus fantasticus” by German theorists due to its improvisatory, extravagant, and virtuosic nature – was a major influence on composers such as Biber (and, for that matter, a young Johann Sebastian Bach). Featuring a small yet mighty group made up of violin, cornetto, theorbo, and organ, Tesserae will perform music by the hotshot Italian violinists who invented the stylus fantasticus – many of whom took positions at courts in Germany and Austria – and by the German and Austrian composers who inherited it. Tesserae is also thrilled to collaborate with renowned lutenist, conductor, and Baroque music specialist Stephen Stubbs.

This free virtual performance is presented by the All Saints’ Music Guild. Click the following links to watch it on their facebook page and on their website.