The release of our CD Nobiltà di Milano is fast approaching. The digital launch will be on June 12, with the physical release following one week later. Listen to the previews and join us in celebrating this new recording.

This new project by Cappella Mariana and the Breathtaking collective focuses on the music of Habsburg Milan in the first decades of the 17th century. After the Sforza family lost the Duchy of Milan in 1532, the territory fell under the rule of the Spanish Habsburgs. In a period of relative calm between two devastating plagues (1576 and 1630), the city enjoyed an extraordinary flowering of cultural life under the patronage of Archbishop Federico Boromeo.

On this recording, we present a series of madrigals by Francesco Rognoni that stand out for their intense expressive power and virtuosity. Given Rognoni's pathfinding role as an early violin virtuoso, we have experimented with the use of instruments in some of these compositions.

The heart of the recording is a uniquely Milanese genre, the “canon motto,” which pits an ensemble of four or five singers against a group of instruments. The singers begin with a polyphonic motet, to which the instruments respond with a lively canzona, until both choirs gradually converge into a magnificent dialogue.

Immerse yourself with us in the world of the Milanese nobility and enjoy this fascinating blend of voices and instruments. Digital release on June 12, physical copies available one week later!