Il Pianto Amoroso

The first concert of the 24th edition of the Baroque Soirées will take the audience to the city of cities, Rome, which experienced an unprecedented expansion in the field of music in the last third of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. Unlike other Italian music centres, publicly accessible opera was not the main activity there and opera productions were even repeatedly banned. Hence, instead of operas, cantatas, serenatas and oratorios prevailed. Moreover, musical life took place mainly in the palaces of prominent noblemen and church dignitaries. In the second half of the 17th century, musicians from all over Italy were attracted to Rome by the opportunities in the papal city. As early as 1650, Bernardo Pasquini arrived there, followed by Alessandro Scarlatti in 1672. At the same time, Alessandro Stradella, who came from Tuscany, was enjoying success as a composer there. In 1709, they were joined by the Banat-born Antonio Caldara. All of these composers contributed to the development of the oratorio, a musical form that originated in Roman temple practice.
 
The concert will feature arias from oratorios and operas written for or performed in Rome, sung by the incomparable Hana Blažíková accompanied by the Collegium Marianum ensemble under the direction of Jana Semerádová. For this evening, the Lobkowicz Palace venue will be transformed into one of the many Roman palaces through which the music of the Baroque masters resounded.