Erotika

Seventeenth-century Italy was captivated by the union of pain, sensuality, and pleasure. In the Catholic culture of the Counter-Reformation, love was believed to deepen through suffering: sweetness gained intensity through bitterness. Pleasure and pain were seen not as opposites, but as forces that heightened one another.
Carnal love appeared as a mysterious, forbidden fruit. This program explores its many expressions—from Landi’s intimacy and Bovicelli’s anguish to Cavalli’s joy and Monteverdi’s burning passion. All yield to love’s power, while Ferrari alone offers a warning, urging caution before its temptations.

Anna Prohaska – soprano
Fahmi Alqhai – viola da gamba & artistic direction

Rami Alqhai – bass viola da gamba
Johanna Rose – bass viola da gamba
Carles Blanch – baroque guitar
Javier Núñez – harpsichord
Agustín Diassera – percussion