Ciconia's music is described as eminently sensual and expressive, distinguishing itself at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries.
Recording & Production
This album is the first recording by Ensemble Les Alizés and the first in a series, dedicated to Johannes Ciconia.
Compositional Technique
Ciconia's works, including two treatises, Nova Musica and De proportionibus, demonstrate his ability to integrate and synthesize French and Italian musical cultures.
Composition History
Some of Ciconia's pieces, like the madrigal Una panthera and the ballata Chi nel servir, contain heraldic emblems and references to political alliances, suggesting they were composed for the court of Giangaleazzo Visconti in Pavia.
Historical Context
Ciconia was the first foreign musician to become a member of the chapter of Padua Cathedral, where he was active during the last ten years of his life.
Performer Biography
Clémence Comte, the artistic director of Ensemble Les Alizés, studied at Utrecht School of the Arts and has won around ten national and international contests as a soloist and with various ensembles.
Composer Biography
Johannes Ciconia, the composer, is believed to have been born in the early 1370s in Liège, where he was an altar boy at the collegiate church of Saint-Jean l'Évangéliste.
You might also enjoy...
Romances séfarades: Dans l'empire de la Sublime Porte
