ENSEMBLE SERAPHIM
Switzerland
Raffaella Bortolini - Shawm, Recorder, Douçaine; Direction
Rachel Heymans - Shawm, Bombard, Recorder, Douçaine
Daniel Serafini - Buisine, Slide Trumpet, Percussions
Bénédicte Wodey - Bombard, Recorder, Douçaine
The Tales of Bacchus
A musical journey rediscovering wine culture in medieval times
Lamento di Tristano e Rotta - Anonymous
Kyrie and Sanctus Vineaux - Guillaume Dufay (1397 - 1474)
Je comence ma chançon / Et je feray li secons / Soules viex - Anonymous
On parole de batre et de vanner / A Paris soir et matin / Frese nouvele - Anonymous
Quant je le voi / Bon vin doit l'en a li tirer / Ci me faut un tour de vin / Cis chans veult boire - Anonymous
Entre Adan et Hanikel / Chief bien seantz / APTATUR - Anonymous
Chansonnete / Ainc voir d'amors / A la cheminee / Par verité - Anonymous
Sanctus Vineaux - Richard Loqueville (?? - 1484)
Pour le deffault du noble dieu Bachus - Baude Cordier (1364? - 1400?)
Tenor Enavois - Anonymous
Fugite Gianni Bacco - Fra Andrea da Firenze (ca. 1350 - 1415)
L'antico dio Biber fra sette stelle - Anonymous
Cacciando per gustar di quel tesoro - Zachara da Teramo (ca. 1350/1360 - 1413/1416)
Cheulz qui volent retourner en Lanois - Anonymous
Adieu ces bons vins de Lannoys - Guillaume Dufay (1397 - 1474)
Gloria de Quaremiaux - Guillaume Dufay (1397 - 1474)
During the middle ages, wine was the most widely consumed beverage. The vines were at first cultivated primarily by the expert hands of monks in their monasteries. Eventually, the vineyards started to take over in the feudal lands, and its products to be largely consumed both for pleasure and necessity.
Wine starts to acquire a double value. In its catholic conception, it is the emblem of life and sacrifice, in men's daily-life, it becomes the symbol of the liberation from one's own concerns. The great importance assumed by wine, reflects on the huge quantity of poetic and musical works in which wine appears or even plays the leading role.
During the course of this musical journey, we will get to know the figure of Saint Tortuel, we will celebrate the pagan god Bacchus with inebriated music performed at sumptuous feasts and we will discover how wine was elevated to a divine dimension through the seductive melody of the "Missa Vineaux".
ENSEMBLE SERAPHIM
The ensemble, which specialises in medieval music, was founded in 2015 in Basel (CH) and features the instruments of the Alta Cappella: shawm, bombard and trumpet, in alternation to the softer sounds of recorders and douçaines (still shawms). With the desire of bringing the essence of medieval music to the audience in a faithful but original manner, the Ensemble has already played at numerous festivals throughout Europe.
In 2018 and 2019, Ensemble Seraphim completed two successful tours performing in Switzerland, northern Italy, southern France, Luxembourg and Belgium with the programme "The Tales of Bacchus", dedicated to the history and culture of wine in Europe.
In 2020 Ensemble Seraphim focused on updating and refreshing existing programmes and started to plan new exciting projects to be presented shortly.
RAFFAELLA BORTOLINI
Raffaella Bortolini is a specialist of historical wind instruments. After her bachelor in baroque oboe with Paolo Faldi in Vicenza, she earned a Master in historical performance practice with Ann-Kathrin Brüggemann in Freiburg im Breisgau and continued her studies with Katharina Arfken in Basel. She studied recorder for many years with Sergio Balestracci, Lorenzo Cavasanti and Corina Marti specialising in renaissance and baroque repertoire.
In 2015 she achieved a Master in shawm and medieval music with Ian Harrison at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. She is now a Ph.D student in musicology at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
Raffaella regularly performs in orchestras and chamber groups in Europe and Asia. She is the artistic director of Ensemble Seraphim, dedicated to the performance of medieval and early renaissance music.