Italian boat tour
Madrigal concert with the “ensemble:” with small scenic elements
The ten singers of the “ensemble:” cordially invite you to a musical boat tour from Venice to Padua. Under the direction of Prof. Kerstin Behnke, the student vocal ensemble will present Adriano Banchieri's madrigal comedy “Barca di Venetia per Padova” from 1623 on Sunday, February 8, at 8:00 p.m. in the Saal Am Palais. Andrea Simic will accompany the concert on the harpsichord. Admission is free!
In Adriano Bachieri's boat trip, characters borrowed from the “Commedia dell'arte” meet. After the hustle and bustle at the port of Venice, a group of singers forms on board and gives a small madrigal concert. An artistic competition between artificial and entertaining music ensues, making the trip quite entertaining. With small scenic elements and opportunities for audience participation, a genre is brought to life that appeared only briefly in music history before being supplanted by the rapidly developing opera: the madrigal comedy.
The ensemble: has grouped short ensemble works thematically to form a dramaturgically coherent arc – as was customary in some madrigal books at the end of the 16th century. The entire vocal ensemble takes turns slipping into the various roles.
All kinds of allusions to other composers, musical habits, and social conditions of the time form a varied sequence of scenes, all of which are presented through ensemble singing. The original interludes that complement the plot are replaced by texts that ensemble: has developed especially for this performance—and which cheerfully moderate the journey.
[3 February 2026]