Terpsichoré

A Renaissance Masked Ball at the Polish Royal Court,
Ballet and Pantomime Performance for All Generations

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Saturday 29. 07. 2023 | 17.00 Vzlet
Holandská 669/1, Prague 10

17.00–19.10

Without intermission

Programme

Michael Praetorius (1571–1621)
Ballet du Roy pour sonner après
La Volte
Bransle double de Poitou

Cesare Negri (ca 1535–1604)
La catena d’Amore

Fabritio Caroso (ca 1527–1605)
Passo e mezzo
Ardente sole
Dolce amoroso fuoco

Thoinot Arbeau (1520–1595)
Pavane d’Espagne

Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi (ca 1554–1609)
Amor vittorioso

Jean d’Estree († 1576)
Les Buffons

Valentin Haussmann (ca 1565–1614)
Polnischer Tanz

Giorgio Mainerio (ca 1535–1582)
Ballo Anglese

Adrian Willaert (ca 1490–1562)
Madonna mia famme bon’ offerta

Gasparo Zanetti (ca 1600–1660)
Gagliarda detta la Lisfeltina di Santino

and others

Artists

Monika Polak-Luścińska – costumes
Monika Polak-Luścińska, Maciej Luściński – masks
Dariusz Brojek – light design

CRACOVIA DANZA BALLET
Marta Yildiz, Nikoleta Giankaki, Małgorzata Nabrzeska, Ewelina Keller – court ladies
Georgij Andrejczenko, Maxim Berko, Michał Kępka – courtiers
Filip Świeczkowski – the court jester

CAPELLA ORNAMENTATA
Richard Šeda – cornetto, recorder
Barbora Mišoňová – cornetto, recorder
Vojtěch Jakl – Baroque violin
Ondřej Sokol – Renaissance trombone
Mélusine de Pas – viola da gamba
Marek Kubát – theorbo, Baroque guitar
Radek Tomášek – percussions

Annotation

The Polish Queen Bona Sforza, one of the most influential and remarkable rulers of the European Renaissance, could undoubtedly also be called “Terpsichore” (i.e. “delighting in dancing”). It was this ambitious and extremely capable Italian aristocrat who initiated the fashion for masquerades in Poland, ruled over by the frolicsome Muse of Dance.

A ballet and pantomime performance by the Polish dance ensemble Cracovia Danza Ballet, with musical accompaniment by the Czech ensemble Capella Ornamentata, will give the audience a glimpse into the milieu of aristocratic entertainments that were an essential part of the political representation of the Polish royal court in the first half of the 16th century. Italian, French, German and Polish dances, rich Renaissance costumes and stylised masks, fantasy, love and court intrigues, the famous jester Stańczyk, and Queen Bona herself... Accept the invitation to the vibrant, sophisticated and colourful carnival of one of the most interesting female aristocrats of the Renaissance!