GIARDINO DI DELIZIE Ensemble

Giardino di Delizie is a dynamic and creative ensemble from Rome, founded in 2014 by Dr. Ewa Anne Augustynowicz, a violinist and artistic director of the ensemble. It consists of professional artists specialized in playing early instruments, mainly from Poland and Italy, who were trained under the watchful eye of renowned artists such as E. Onofri, E. Gatti, F. Pavan, M. Testori, B. Hoffmann, Ch. Rousset, E. Baiano, etc. The artists have also participated in numerous masterclasses with outstanding specialists in early music such as: Biondi, Beyer, Coin, Vestidello, Sinkovsky, Testori, Gatti, Valli, Ogg, De Carlo, Holtslag, Brown, Tampieri, Florio, Bonizzoni, Rousset, Minasi. The members of the ensemble regularly collaborate and perform with the following ensembles: Les Eléments, Capella Cracoviensis, Accademia Montis Regalis, Divino Sospiro, Europa Galante, Arianna Art Ensemble, Collegium Pro Musica, Quatuor Mosaiques, Concerto Romano, Accordone, and Pomo d'Oro.

The main headquarters of the group is located in Rome, where the ensemble's activities were inaugurated with a concert in the Polish church. The ensemble has performed in many important venues and institutions in Rome and at numerous significant festivals in Italy and abroad, including: Almisonis Melos Chivasso, Turin; Musica Antica a San Rufo, Rieti; Sulle Ombre del Cusanino Filottrano, Marche; I Concerti di Campagna, Monte Compatri; the BRQ Vantaa Music Festival (Helsinki), Utrecht Early Music Festival (Netherlands), Schola Cantorum Festival in Kalisz, Wilanów Palace, Societa Dante Alighieri in Katowice, Baroque Festival in Spisz, Pietà de’ Turchini in Naples, Música Antiga dels Pirineus in Spain, Festival Misericordia, etc. In 2018, Giardino di Delizie performed a series of concerts of Polish music to commemorate the centenary of Poland regaining independence at the University of Turin, at the Società del Giardino in Milan, and at the Museum of Instruments in Rome.

Inspired by Tartini's words, the artists are convinced that 'to play well, one must be able to speak well', which is why the ensemble's concerts, extremely intense and fascinating, are the result of historical and musicological research centered on Italian composers such as Alessandro Stradella, Lelio Colista, or Carlo Ambrogio Lonati, as well as Polish and Italian composers at Polish royal courts such as Marcin Mielczwski, Adam Jarzębski, Tarquinio Merula, or Aldebrando Subissati.

The result of this philological approach to the performance of early music is the first album of the ensemble published by the renowned label Brilliant Classics in 2018. The album features Sinfonie a 3 by C.A. Lonati, all of which had not been recorded until then. The CD received very positive reactions from international critics. The American magazine Fanfare summarized the recording of Lonati's symphonies: These are spirited performances, notable not just for their technical polish, but also for their heart and human excitement. I can’t imagine this level of achievement being surpassed anytime soon, if at all.

In March 2020, the second album of the ensemble Gems of the Polish Baroque was released, this time featuring Polish baroque instrumental music. The album includes works by Szarzyński, Förster, Mielczewski, Jarzębski, and Zieleński. In June, the third album of the ensemble will be released, featuring 10 previously unrecorded symphonies by Lelio Colista, another Roman composer from the pre-Corelli period.

GEMS OF THE POLISH BAROQUE

The musicians of the Giardino di Delizie ensemble play on early instruments, replicas of famous luthiers. Depending on the repertoire, the group regularly collaborates with other professional musicians.

The term Giardino di Delizie comes from the names of medieval gardens located in abbeys and monasteries. In these gardens, the cultivation of medicinal herbs was practiced. In later periods, with the emergence of the so-called Signorie, these places were transformed into centers of recreation and leisure, as well as being used for business meetings. These gardens were located near elegant villas, castles, and monasteries. A large number of them were found in the vicinity of Florence and were established thanks to the Medici family. The gardens belonging to this aristocratic family were realized with imagination and ingenuity and were abundant in interesting and original flora. Additionally, fountains, ponds, and fish-filled lakes amazed and delighted, constituting one of the main attractions. These places, along with their original architecture, ancient sculptures, and decorations, became symbols of a new lifestyle, a new perspective on nature, and inspired contemporary artists to perfect their own skills and creativity.

www.giardinodidelizie.com