The research carried out by Peter Holman and Rodolfo Baroncini in the 1990s has made it possible to recover from the oblivion of history the Compagnie di violini – ensembles of three to six instruments from the violin family. In the Sixteenth Century, these groups of violini were comprised of professional instrumentalists assembled into guilds and took part in many festive, secular and religious activities.
From the 1530s, and up to the 1580-90s, every town in Northern Italy had at least one violin ensemble, which was invited to play at nobles’ receptions, princes’ balls, meetings and political negotiations between influential figures.
The term Sonadori, which I have chosen for the ensemble I created for my artistic doctoral performance, finds its origins in Venice where the confraternities ran and provided for groups of singers and instrumentalists on a permanent basis.
In order to re-create the dulcet tones described in accounts of festivities, which were nevertheless sufficiently powerful to be heard at the other end of a ballroom, the musician of the ensemble and I have worked with several stringed-instrument makers on reconstructing new Renaissance instruments.
Concert videos can be viewed online.