In the 16th and the 17th centuries travels were obviously not as easy as today, but the cultural and commercial exchanges were nevertheless very active all over Europe. Musicians received influences from their colleagues. Italy was leading fashion tendencies, but some influent composers in every country created new schools or movements. Religious issues after the Reformation also brought connections.
This programme explores compositions and influences in Europe from North to South and from East to West: England, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Austria. It includes Byrd's evocation of bells (an ostinato on two notes), Cabezon's beautiful variations on a popular song, Rossi's crazy chromaticism, Correa's charming melodic line, Kerll's capriccio on the cuckoo theme, and the energetic dances from Dutch Van Soldt Manuscript. It reveals various cultural mixtures: Louis Couperin writes in the style of Italian durezze (dissonances), Froberger creates Toccata per la levatione, Polish manuscript transcribes Janequin's chanson about Marignan battle, Sweelinck interprets Dowland's Flow My Tears, Hanseatic Scheidemann is inspired by Praetorius’ motet.
All these pieces of music, full of colours and contrasts, are written for very different types of organs, but their musical substance is so great that they can transcend the instrument and create fireworks of sound, revealing all possibilities of Kretinga's organ!
