Leonardo da Vinci, the Musician & Scientist

Michael Eisenberg--Curator, Scholar, Historical Keyboard
Joined by:
Lisa Rautenberg--Historical Strings
Carlo Valte--Historical Plucked Instruments
Patricia Sonego--Voice
ABOUT:
Musicologist Emanuel Winternitz, wrote in his Leonardo DaVinci as a Musician in 1982, that DaVinci's "involvement with music was not one facet, one particle among many others, of his creative power but an essential, indispensable, integral, organic part of the whole structure of his scientific-artistic energy, interrrelated with the many other aspects that the universe had for him. Music -- as an activity as well as the subject of meditation -- is an element of his forma mentis, or, as he might have said, figurazione della mente." 
The Foundation for the Revival of Classical Culture is happy to bring a two-part thought-provoking presentation on Leonardo daVinci as a musician and scientist to St. John’s in the Village.  Dr. Michael Eisenberg, curator of the 2016 exhibit at the Ambrosiana Museum in Milan on daVinci’s designs of musical instruments, and the Atlanticus Codex, will lecture, and perform on harpsichord, organ and Renaissance harp. He will be be joined by Lisa Rautenberg on the violin and rebec (viola da braccio), Carols Valte (plucked Instrumen) and Patricia Sonego (voice).
Saturday, April 13, 2 pm --
To provide an overview of Leonardo's early musical journey, his musical instrument design, and his use of other scientific domains to inform his acoustical experiments as grounded in the musical, intellectual, and scientific inquiry of the Sforza, Medici, and Este courts.

Saturday, May 4th, 2 pm --
To provide an in-depth analysis of Leonardo’s use of music harmonic proportions to construct form and signification in “The Last Supper” and to interpret performative meaning in his “Festa del Paradiso” enactment of the harmony of the spheres.
Join us for these two fascinating presentations!  Both events will be followed by a reception.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
MICHAEL EISENBERG

National Endowment for the Humanities fellow for studies on Leonardo da Vinci's integration of art and science, Dr. Michael Eisenberg specializes in  early modern performance practice and its relationship to visual culture. In 2014 he was invited to curate the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana di Milano's exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci's images on music and acoustics with Pietro Marani. For seven years, he performed on the roster of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series interpreting music of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque. Dr. Eisenberg has taught and held research fellowships at Columbia, Harvard, UCLA, the University of London School of Advanced Studies, the Italian Fulbright Commission, the Delmas Foundation, and the Getty Research Institute. As a member of the Metropolitan Opera Guild roster, he was selected as the only conductor to perform for the Placido Domingo Met Gala celebration. Michael has performed throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East, and for the National Public Radio, the BBC, CBC and HBO. His recording credits include two-time finalist prizes with recording contracts in the EMA/Dorian international recording competition. Michael is the founding artistic director of chamber ensembles Le Nuove Musicheand Ensemble for the Seicento and holds masters degrees in harpsichord and piano from the Mannes College of Music as a Sylvia Marlowe Fellow, and a Ph.D. from the City University of New York.  Dr.Eisenberg is a 2019 Gilder Lehrman fellow at Princeton University.

 

 CARLO VALTE
Carlo Valte (Oud, guitar) is an active performer and educator in New York and abroad. He performs as Oudist with ALBA Consort, The Compass Trio, Sendebar, Adufera and performed with Hesperus on guitar, oud and percussion for the live music with silent film project The Golem. Past performances include Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, L’Auditori de Barcelona, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors series, Museo Tamayo (Mexico D.F.), NYPR’s Greene space and The United Nations. He has given workshops, master classes and educational programs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Queens College (CUNY), University of Chicago, The Oriental Institute, Northern Illinois University and many other public and independent schools in NYC and the Tri-state area and Spain including Barcelona, Tarragona and Reus. He has coached ensembles since 2005 for the annual New York Guitar Seminar. His past recordings are with One Soul Records, Vienna Modern Masters, and N. Y. Collegium. His own education started in classical guitar with conductor Michael Dadap. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Music degrees at the Mannes College of Music as a student of Frederic Hand and historical performance practice with Pat O'Brien. His interest in Medieval and Near Eastern Music led him to study the Oud with Simon Shaheen in New York and Nasser Houari in Rabat, Morocco. 
“Carlo Valte was virtuosic on the Oud…”
-          Contrapunts, Catalunya Radio
“Valte took center stage with several captivating solos…”
-      Express Milwaukee 

 

PATRICIA SONEGO
"Voice of an angel - a beguiling voice hailed for its true sensitivity and drama," says Toronto's National Post of American coloratura soprano Patricia Sonego. A frequent recitalist, Patricia performs a wide range of repertoire with various chamber ensembles. She is a featured guest artist on the prestigious Grinberg Classical Salon Series in New York City, presenting performance/lecture programs on the great composers, both male and female, of Russian, French, Italian, German and Spanish art song from the 16th through 21st centuries. She also tours with the Baroque chamber ensemble 'Le Nuove Musiche' performing songs of the 16th and 17th century.
Patricia made her operatic debut in New York City in the world premiere of American composer Jack Beeson's 'Sorry, wrong number,' with the Center for Contemporary Opera under the baton of Richard Marshall (recorded for Albany Records). She has premiered numerous works by contemporary composers, including 'Messages for Raoul Wallenberg' by Terry Winter Owens with Alaria chamber ensemble at Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall; and art songs by famed Broadway composer Charles Strouse (Annie, Bye Bye Birdie) with Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Matt Herskowitz. Ms. Sonego’s most recent recording is the world premiere of 'Two Poems' by Patrick Hardish, with pianist Taka Kigawa (‘Song Cycles,’ CCR/NAXOS). She recorded the world premiere of ‘For Milton,’ a serial music work for Milton Babbitt by award-winning composer John Melby (Perspectives of New Music/Open Space Magazine). Ms. Sonego’s debut CD ‘A Simple Pleasure’ (IMS Canada), with pianist Michael Eisenberg, features the world premiere recording of American composer Seymour Barab’s song cycle ‘The Rivals’ (IMS Canada).