21 September, 7 pm
Palace of the Grand Dukes, Katedros a. 4, Vilnius
Enchanted Nyckelharpa
A musical journey with viola d'amore a chiavi from Medieval to Baroque times
Didier François – nyckelharpa (Belgium)
Alina Rotaru – harpsichord (Germany / Lithuania)
The traditional Swedish nyckelharpa is perhaps one of the most interesting and complex string instruments in Europe: having a body of a grand viola, bowed strings, and a keyboard. Far from being solely bound to the Swedish folk music, for which it is still used today, the nyckelharpa – also called, among others, viola d’amore a chiavi – went through several local transformations, while it evolved more and more further from his brother, the Medieval hurdy-gurdy, and used to be played also in the rest of Europe during Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque. Historical sources mention it in Spain, Italy, and Germany. Nowadays this instrument finds a musical revival due to a few skilled and dedicated players. Belgian artist Didier François finds new soundscapes, incorporating in his repertoire his own arrangement of masterpieces by Guillaume De Machault, Gilles Binchois, Marin Marais, Robert de Visée and more.
The concert is free of charge. Please register in advance via provided link
