Cabinet of Curiosities / Wunderkammer

Programme

Marin Marais (1656-1728) 

Prelude (D minor )

Rando Fukuda (1905-1976) 

An improvisation on the moon 

Sainte Colombe le fils (c.1660-c.1720) 

Prelude – Courant – Sarabande – Gigue  (A minor)

Béla Bartók (1881-1945) 

Stick dance, from Romanian Folk Dances Sz.68 (A minor)

György Kurtág (1926- ) 

Hommage à John Cage, from Sings, Games and Messages 

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

Pavane from Suite Française d’après Claude Gervaise, FP80 

Takashi Yoshimatsu (1953- )

A distant dark pastoral, from Pleiades Dances op.50 

Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952-2023)

20220302 

Robert de Visée (1650-1732) 

Prélude

Allemande (E minor)

Les Sylvains de M. Couperin

Chaconne (G major) 

Marin Marais (1656-1728) / Carel Hacquart (c.1640-c.1686) / Michel Lambert (1610-1696) / Johannes Schenck (1660-1712) 

Fantasie luthée

Allemande (Hacquart)

D’un feu secret (Lambert)

La Minaudiere

Gigue (Schenck)

Chaconne 

Performers

Reiko Ichise, Viola da Gamba,

Elizabeth Kenny, Theorbo

Programme Notes

Wunderkammer - a curious exploration

Shells and corals from newly discovered lands, delicate Chinese porcelain, Japanese samurai armour, a skull, and a stuffed crocodile are just a few of the objects often depicted in images of Renaissance and Baroque Wunderkammer. I have always been fascinated by the idea of a room filled with strange and beautiful objects. The concept of Wunderkammer originated in Renaissance Italy and Germany and gained popularity throughout Europe during the 17th century, captivating the curious and learned minds of the time. Typically a personal collection, the Wunderkammer showcased a diverse array of rare, beautiful, and bizarre objects from various parts of the world and different periods in history. I began to daydream of creating my own room of wonders, a fantasy space filled with magic and inspiration. 

Another source of inspiration came from a bass viol music manuscript found in Durham Cathedral, lovingly collected and copied by a clergyman, Philip Falle (1656-1747), who was an accomplished viol player. 340-page manuscripts are dedicated to solo bass viol music, mostly from printed materials originating from the latter half of the 17th century in England, France, and the Netherlands. Falle organised pieces by various notable viol players/ composers, such as Marais, Schenck, Hacquart, sometimes presenting them in an intriguing mix-and match format. The way Falle curated these gems reminded me of the concept of Wunderkammer, inspiring me to create my own collection with pieces from both near and far, both old and new.

Biographies

Reiko Ichise

A Tokyo-born Viola da Gamba and Tromba Marina player, Reiko Ichise was born in 1966, the year of the fire horse. Reiko moved to London more than three decades ago to study viols at the Royal College of Music and has since established her reputation as one of the leading gamba players in the UK. Her passion for chamber music has led her to become a member of ensembles such as Florilegium, Passacaglia, The Theatre of Ayre, Elephant House Quartet, The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments, and the Irish Consort. Reiko has broadcasted widely and released numerous critically acclaimed albums as a chamber musician. For eight years, she was a vital member of the award-winning viol consort Fretwork, where she performed a rich repertoire of both old and new compositions. As a soloist, she has performed extensively at prestigious festivals and concert series, with renowned orchestras such as the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Baroque Soloists, the Gabrieli Consort, Arte dei Suonatori, and the Norwegian Soloist Choir. During the lockdown, Reiko completed her Master's degree in Art History, specialising in 17th-century Dutch still life paintings. As a dedicated teacher, she regularly conducts coaching sessions in London and Tokyo, sharing her skills and experiences in chamber music repertoires. Reiko is a Viola da gamba professor at the Royal College of Music and lives in London. 

The Properly manic viola da gamba player…..  –  The Times 2024

Elizabeth Kenny

Elizabeth Kenny, born in 1967 in London, is one of Europe’s leading lute players. Her playing has been described as “incandescent” (Music and Vision), “radical” (The Independent on Sunday) and “indecently beautiful” (Toronto Post).

She has devised several critically acclaimed recordings of solo music from the ML Lute Book, and, with long standing vocal partners, songs by Lawes, Purcell and Dowland. Her most recent solo recording, Ars Longa (Linn Records) was nominated for the BBC Music Magazine Solo Instrumental recording of the year 2019. She has an extensive discography of collaborations with chamber ensembles across Europe and the USA.  

Kenny founded Theatre of the Ayre in 2007. Notable recording projects include John Blow’s Venus and Adonis (Wigmore Live, 2011), The Masque of Moments (Linn, 2017) and C17 Playlist, with tenor Ed Lyon (Delphian). More recently the album De Pasiòn Mortal (Outhere 2024) brought together music from mid twentieth century Latin America with the European seventeenth century. 

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Elizabeth Kenny has been professor of Lute at the Royal Academy of Music since 1999, and Dean of Students since 2020. She was Professor of Musical Performance at the University of Southampton, and Director of Performance and Performance Studies at the University of Oxford between 2012 and 2020. 

Instrumental Choice: 'This era-spanning album is a triumph...Kenny's performances are superb, technically assured in the trickiest variations, and always with a sense of spontaneous re-creation.'

BBC Music Magazine