Music from Anne of Brittany’s Court:
Duchess of Brittany and Twice Queen of France
Performed by Nautilus Renaissance Viols, New York’s only ensemble uniquely devoted to performing on replicas of renaissance period viols.
" The ensemble was well prepared with flawless and remarkable intonation."
https://www.nautilus-ren-viols.com
Anne of Brittany, was the independent ruler of one of the wealthiest duchies of Europe at the end of the 15th century. As such, her marriage to the King of France was a foregone conclusion, cementing the absorption of Brittany into the kingdom. However, she could not have known that her marriage to Charles VIII was to last only seven years and was swiftly followed by her marriage to his successor and cousin, Louis XII. Thus, “Anne, Duchess of Brittany and twice Queen of France” became one of the small number of influential female protagonists in Europe at the start of the new century. She was a keen patron of the arts and maintained an important musical establishment at court. Many of her composers have names now obscured by the mists of time: Mouton, Fevin, Divitis and Sermisy, but the quality of their music is indisputable.
Nautilus Renaissance Viols will perform a program of music from Anne’s court circle on instruments of the type she would have known. We are delighted to be joined once again from the UK by David Hatcher, founder of the Linarol Consort, who will direct the performance. As a bonus, he will follow the performance with a short and entertaining selection of traditional English music played on the Northumbrian Smallpipes (including some tunes with surprising American connections).