Martinů Festtage 2026 | Madrigals

Madrigals | SWR Vokalensemble & Capella Helvetica

William BYRD: All as a Sea (1588)
Bohuslav MARTINŮ: Czech Madrigals, H 278 (1939)
Orlando GIBBONS: Now each flowry bancke (1612)
Elway BEVIN: Browning à 3 (c. 1570)
Thomas RAVENSCROFT: Round for 3 voices: Browning (1609)
William BYRD: Browning à 5 (1578)
Johannes BRAHMS: Three Songs, Op. 104, Nos. 1–3
Anthony HOLBORNE: Image of Melancholy (1599)
Bohuslav MARTINŮ: Five Czech Madrigals, H 321 (1948)
John FARMER: Faire Phyllis (1599)
Thomas WEELKES: Hark, All Ye Saints Above (1598)
Bohuslav MARTINŮ: Madrigals, H 380 (1959)

SWR Vokalensemble (vocal ensemble)
Capella Helvetica (instrumental ensemble)
Yuval Weinberg (conductor) 

The opening concert of Martinů Festtage 2026 brings Bohuslav Martinů’s madrigal writing into dialogue with its historical roots, spanning several centuries of vocal music. Alongside three madrigal cycles by Martinů, the programme features works by English Renaissance composers William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, Elway Bevin, Thomas Ravenscroft, Anthony Holborne, John Farmer and Thomas Weelkes, as well as three songs by Johannes Brahms.

The programme juxtaposes the English madrigal tradition with Martinů’s distinctive response to this historical genre. His Czech Madrigals from 1939 are followed by Five Czech Madrigals from 1948 and the late Madrigals from 1959.

More information: https://martinu.ch/programm/madrigale-swr-vokalensemble-yuval-weinbergdirigent-capella-helvetica/ 
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