Ki Kolech Arev – Il Dolce Suono: Jewish and Secular Music from Late Medieval Italy

Doron Schleifer (countertenor)
Corina Marti (medieval harpsichord and recorders)

Italian polyphonic music in the fourteenth century has been likened to a “dazzling meteor” suddenly flaming into existence against an obscure background and, its fireworks spent, disappearing just as abruptly.

Judging by the extant body of music, one of the most important towns in medieval Italy was republican Florence, which rose to prominence in the middle of the 14th century with its very own style of music and text. Doron Schleifer (countertenor) and Corina Marti (medieval harpsichord and recorders) introduce the dichotomy between the two different—but still connected—worlds that would constitute the musical world of the many Jewish musicians and dance masters who lived in Italy at the time. Alongside the elaborate polyphonic music and flashy dances they would play, sing, dance, and teach, they would also have a parallel musical world—that of the synagogue and its special music. The programme's very title embodies this duality: the Hebrew phrase "ki kolech arev" takes its name from a verse in the Song of Songs, "Let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet", and the Italian "il dolce suono" refers to a text in a ballata (a medieval song form) to which Dante refers in his Divine Comedy.

This opening concert of our 2024 H.I.P.S.T.E.R. series is presented in partnership with JACI (Jewish Arts and Culture Ireland).

H.I.P.S.T.E.R. gratefully acknowledges support from the Arts Council of Ireland through its Arts Grant Funding programme.

Tickets: €20 General Admission / €15 Concession / Under 16s FREE

Photo: Dirk Letsch/Ensemble La Morra