Baroque Beginnings: Le Nuove Musiche

Join us at the Italian Cultural & Community Center Tuesday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m. for a live concert of baroque monodies performed by altus Michael Skarke and harpsichordist Mario Aschauer of Harmonia Stellarum Houston.

The invention of monody, a single voice accompanied by a chordal instrument, constitutes the quantum jump from the polyphonic Renaissance to the emotionally charged Baroque period. The new aesthetic of a dramatically charged solo voice paved the way for the development of opera. One of the spear heads of this musical revolution was Italian singer and composer Giulio Caccini who not only contributed music to the first operas of music history, but also published perhaps the most influential collection of monodies: his Le nuove musiche (“New Musics”) of 1602. Our program features the highlights from this collection: love poetry by some of the most renowned Italian poets of his time—Guarini, Strozzi, and Rinuccini—with the sweet melodies and lush harmonies of opera’s first star.

Modeled after the great court chapels of the 17th century, Harmonia Stellarum Houston is an ensemble of vocal and instrumental virtuosos who seek to inspire, entertain, and enlighten audiences with meaninful, historically informed performances of well-known as well as newly discovered musical masterworks.

By purchasing a ticket to this event, you acknowledge the following: I understand that I am holding a spot so reservations for this event are nonrefundable. If I am unable to attend, I understand that I can transfer to a friend.

This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Meet the Musicians

Michael Skarke

Praised for his “exquisite, almost ethereal tone quality,” (Vocal Arts Chicago) and “sexy, strong countertenor,” (Stage and Cinema LA) Michael Skarke is thrilled to be making his concert debut with Harmonia Stellarum. Recent engagements for Michael include a solo feature on the Houston Chamber Choir’s world premiere recording of Daniel Knaggs’ Two Streams, and a concert tour and recording of the world premiere arrangement of an all-men’s Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil with the GRAMMYÒ nominated PaTRAM Male Chorus in Jerusalem, Israel. In August, Michael joined the American Soloists Ensemble in Seoul, South Korea for a concert tour and recording to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Korean-American relations. During the 2022 season, Michael made several exciting debuts including performances as Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea with Haymarket Opera and as Alceste in the North American premiere of Vivaldi’s Ercole su’l Termodonte with Pacific Opera Project. This summer, Michael will make his debut with West Edge Opera in Oakland, CA. When not performing, you might catch Michael playing golf, basketball, or spending time with his beautiful wife Jenny and baby girl, Clarke.

Mario Aschauer

Austrian conductor, harpsichordist, and musicologist Mario Aschauer has made his life’s work the interface of music scholarship and performance. As a performer on historical keyboard instruments including harpsichord, fortepiano, and organ, Mario has collaborated with early music ensembles such as Harmony of Nations Baroque Orchestra, Ars Antiqua Austria, L’Orfeo Baroque Orchestra, Calamus Consort, Mercury Chamber Orchestra, and Ars Lyrica. Mario holds degrees from the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, the University of Vienna, and the Linz Bruckner Conservatory. Upon completion of a postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale School of Music, he accepted a faculty position at Sam Houston State University where he is currently Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Early Music Research and Performance. He also teaches harpsichord and basso continuo at Rice University and serves as organist at First Lutheran Houston.