free entry
Saturday, August 31st at 5pm
CASTAGNETO DI PAVULLO
Chiesa di S. Lorenzo Martire
LEONARDO
e i rebus musicali
Musica di Leonardo Da Vinci e musicisti del tempo
Massimo Lonardi, liuto rinascimentale
With a private contribution
The oldest bibliographical sources celebrate Leonardo da Vinci for his qualities at improvising with “lira da braccio” and at singing. The famous mathematician Luca Pacioli talked about him as an extraordinary painter, skilled architect and virtuous musician. Giorgio Vasari credited the Maestro’s musical skills to his contemporaries. Unfortunately, Leonardo, following the instrumentalists’ habits of the 15th century, did not transcribe his improvisations. In the papers of the Windsor Collection, Leonardo used musical notation in at least 18 rebus, combining it with syllables, words or fragments of words to form mottos or small sentences using the notes’ names. Three of these musical rebus form melodies that have been gathered in a counterpoint elaboration for lute. Together with the three rebus, the concert offers pieces for lute of the time, thus creating the sound background for an extraordinary Renaissance culture. Massimo Lonardi is one of the greatest Italian violinists, a great virtuoso and refined performer.
