In 1501, Ottaviano Petrucci transformed the world of music. With his groundbreaking invention of music printing, he made it possible for Renaissance masterpieces to reach far beyond the courts and chapels of Europe. Petrucci’s beautifully engraved publications preserved the voices of the era’s greatest composers — Josquin des Prez, Heinrich Isaac, and Marchetto Cara among them — and opened a new age of artistic exchange and accessibility.
The Voice of the Viol: Petrucci, the First Music Publisher invites audiences to step into this remarkable moment in musical history. Voices of Music presents an evening of radiant vocal and instrumental works drawn from Petrucci’s pioneering printed collections — exquisite chansons, frottolas, and instrumental pieces that reveal the elegance and expressive power of early Renaissance music.
The program includes highlights such as Josquin’s Adieu mes amours, Isaac’s Jay pris amours, and Cara’s Io non compro più speranza, alongside instrumental ricercars and dances that showcase the creativity of this vibrant period.
A centerpiece of the concert is the debut of Voices of Music’s newly commissioned set of early Renaissance viols, crafted to recreate the warm, resonant sound world of the early 1500s. These instruments join voice, lute, and recorder in performances that capture the intimacy, color, and brilliance of Renaissance music as it might have sounded in Petrucci’s time.
Renowned mezzo-soprano Danielle Reutter-Harrah joins the ensemble, bringing her expressive artistry to this evocative program. Her nuanced interpretations illuminate the lyrical beauty and emotional depth of these early works, bridging the centuries between composer and listener.
Join Voices of Music for an evening that celebrates innovation, imagination, and the birth of musical print — when ink first met parchment, and the sounds of the Renaissance were preserved for generations to come.
