Bach à Bacchus : Concert de l'ensemble Alkymia : "Sucreries"

This sound journey illustrates an imaginary landscape in time, anchored in the city of Sucre, called La Plata at the time of the Hispanic viceroyalty of Upper Peru.
From the polyphonies composed for the chapels of La Plata in the 17th and 18th centuries, to the salon music of the 19th, and from the instrumental pieces of the 17th to the traditional dances of today, this journey invites you to discover the city of Sucre and its musical heritage.
The works on the programme are
Sacred villancicos written for Christmas, Corpus Christi and the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. These are polyphonies steeped in popular Spanish dances and melodies (some of which are even banned on the old continent), with flamboyant texts typical of Golden Age literature and counterpoints steeped in madrigalisms. In these villancicos, the characteristics of the early Baroque are clearly present, with the constant aim of enlivening a celebration and strengthening the faith of the newly baptised.
Pieces for guitar and viola da gamba, which dialogue with the villancicos, provide modes of play that could have contributed to the construction of popular dances today and illustrate the importance of dance in colonial life.
To crown this exploration of the history of this teeming city, the final touch will be cuecas by Siméon Roncal and Matilde Casasola, dances that represent the Baroque heritage in popular dance.

The Alkymia ensemble, under the direction of Mariana Delgadillo Espinoza, interweaves ancient and modern music, sublimating their essences: this alchemy abolishes frontiers and creates a new texture that provokes a suspended moment, out of time, arousing astonishment, reverie and elation...
Rather than a superimposition: a journey through transmutation, a rereading. A historically informed interpretation, the better to savour the blend of the ancient source with a contemporary perception that is alive, moving and stirring.
Voice, ancient instruments, staging and often electronics surpass their original functions thanks to different processes, arrangements and new compositions, in search of a direct and sensitive link with the other.
Traditional and popular music also feature in our programmes, in another form of sonic praise for the diversity of humanity's rich musical heritage.