Why Is This Important?
Leonora Duarte (1610–1678), a Jewish Converso living in Antwerp, was the only known woman to write music for the viol in the seventeenth-century, yet no complete recording of her work exists. Born to a prominent family of merchants and art collectors (friends of Vermeer, and possibly Rubens), Leonora received a superb musical education that included instruction on viol, harpsichord, and lute, as well as lessons in composition — but as both a Jew and a woman, she received no commissions from church or court. Her surviving work, seven Sinfonias for consort, not only fill an extraordinary gap in history, but are a testament to a formidable talent for composition. It’s now up to us to bring these gorgeous works back to life — to give them the legs upon which to walk again.
Not Your Average Record
We have invited Teju Cole, award-winning author and photography critic of The New York Times Magazine, to create spoken prose on the disc and a photography essay in the program booklet, anchoring our dialogue with Duarte. Cole’s work in seventeenth-century Antwerp deals with memory, the mapping of urban environments, and with connecting space and time via observation. We hope this CD will be not only a collection of sound unearthed from the past, but an art object, something to hold and cherish.
How Your Gift Will Help
There are many expenses associated with making a classical record, and these days ensembles must often foot the bill themselves with the help of private donations. We’re very lucky to have Centaur’s help going in. All we must do now is deliver Centaur a Master file of our recording.
To make our Master, we will need the following:
• Recording studio time: We’ll be recording at Drew University’s concert hall in Madison, NJ (one of the finest acoustics in the New York area) over two days in December. Your gifts will help us with rental fees.
• Our producer is key to making sure we sound our very best. Your gifts will help ensure our record is edited and produced by an expert in high caliber recordings of historic music.
• Instruments, musicians, and Teju: Renting a harpsichord and having it delivered to the studio will be essential, as will providing honoraria to the musicians and Teju for two full days of hard work. Your gifts will ensure these important artist-related expenses are covered.
Thank you ALL for your incredible generosity and support. We look forward to sharing this music with you very soon!
— Elizabeth, Jude, Amy, Shirley, James, and Toma
