Stella, quam viderant magi

13 September, 18:00 | Palace of the Grand Dukes, Katedros a. 4, Vilnius

Stella, quam viderant magi
Motets and madrigals by Giovanni Battista Mosto, dedicated to Lithuanian and Transylvanian noblemen

Nora Petročenko – cantus, Mikus Abaroniņš – altus (Latvija), Povilas Vanžodis – quintus, Daniels Pelnēns – tenor (Latvija), Nerijus Masevičius – bassus

Morgaine (Germany / Lithuania / Poland)

  • Mirjam-Luise Münzel – recorders
  • Alina Rotaru – organ, harpsichord
  • Darius Stabinskas – cello
  • Jan Kiernicki – lute

 

Giovanni Battista Mosto (1550–1596) was a prolific composer, multi-instrumentalist and instructor with an impressive list of postings throughout Europe: Munich, Venice, Padova, Kraków, Alba-Iulia. His exhausting style of life costed him his life, while he was travelling home to Alba-Iulia.
Mosto left us a valuable musical heritage, most notably his motets and madrigals, works that survived the centuries together with his own dedications, dedications which meant in those times not only a humble sign of devotion from the giver, but also recognition and appreciation from the receiver. His second book of madrigals (Venice, 1584) is dedicated to Mikołaj Krzysztof “the Orphan” Radziwiłł (1549–1616), who was at that time Grand Marshall of Lithuania, later to become Voivod of Trakai. A few years later, Mosto’s book of motets “Motecta liber primus” was published in Venice, 1590, and he dedicated it to the Prince of Transylvania in the year that started his employment at the Prince’s court, in Alba-Iulia, which is now on Romanian territory.
This programme also highlights vocal and instrumental music written by Italian composers, who had ties with Lithuanian and Transylvanian noblemen.