The Infinite Beauty of Renaissance Music 

16th century art is some of the most venerated in history: from the paintings of Michelangelo to the spectacular architecture of the Florentine palazzi or the Vatican chapels, the Renaissance produced some of the finest and most celebrated works of art ever made. Even with the widespread admiration of this illustrious period, it is the music of Renaissance—refined, varied, and rich—that remains mostly obscure to today's musical audiences, missing a chance to hear the incredible "soundtrack" that accompanies this fascinating historical era.

In November of 2021, Tasto Solo recorded EROS & SUBTILITAS: Capricci, Madrigali e Danze in Dialogo, the second volume of our Early Modern Series. This disc captures the music of Vincenzo Ruffo (ca. 1510-1587), a prodigal composer and chapel master in Milan's Cathedral, and highlights his extraordinary but rarely recorded instrumental Capricci in Musica, as well as madrigals and virtuosic dance music by his contemporaries. The ensemble features Anne-Kathryn Olsen, soprano; Riccardo Pisani, baritone; Bertrand Cuiller, Renaissance harpsichord, Bérengère Sardin, Renaissance harp; Pau Marcos, viola bastarda; Bor Zuljan, Renaissance lute; and Guillermo Pérez, organetto & direction.

We are happy to announce that this CD will be released in January 2023 on Alia Vox, and we would like to ask your help in supporting Tasto Solo by contributing to our fundraising campaign.


Tasto Solo's Discography

Recordings pose a significant financial burden, particularly given the state of the world and the changing way that people listen to music. Nevertheless, since our first CD published in 2009, Tasto Solo has remained dedicated to making recordings of the highest quality: instead of producing a recording every year, we stand for recordings that will last many years. Thanks to this quest of excellence, our three previous CDs have received multiple international press awards including the Diapason d’Or, ICMA Nomination, Amadeus “CD of the Month”, Ritmo & Audio Classica’s “Excellent”, Pizzicato’s “Supersonic”, Scherzo’s “Exceptional”, and France Musique “Coup de Coeur”.

This commitment to quality extends to every aspect of the CD: EROS & SUBTILITAS contains a decorated booklet with photographs by Robin .H. Davies, a rich and accessible text presented in three languages (EN, ES, FR), lyrics and translations, and documentation about the composers, sources, and instruments used in this program.


About the Campaign

Unlike other major ensembles, Tasto Solo is not affiliated to any public institution and doesn't receive any financial support. We turn now to our friends and music lovers—for whose support we are very grateful—to ask for your help in covering the final costs of this disc. Our goal of €5.000 represents the post-production expenses and will allow us to continue moving forward to share this new project throughout the world.

Any contribution, large or small, helps Tasto Solo to continue making thoughtful, carefully produced recordings and concerts: something you can't do on a digital streaming platform. Every donation will be met with a special thank you, tracks from our disc, the digital recording—including its booklet—a physical CD, our complete discography, or concert tickets. 

We are grateful for all the support that has allowed us to thrive as an ensemble, and we thank you for your generosity in helping this project reach its full potential.


TASTO SOLO

Tasto Solo combines creativity, historical research, and virtuosity in its exploration of Medieval and early Renaissance music. Led by director and founder Guillermo Pérez, the ensemble illustrates the refinement of this exquisite repertoire and captivates the audience through a unique musical language of dramatic rhythm, mise-en-scène, improvisation, and a playful dialogue between performers. The ensemble has played a decisive role in the recovery and diffusion of forgotten musical repertoires, presenting them in renewed splendor on stage.

Tasto Solo’s acclaimed discography includes two volumes from a triptych project devoted to 15th century keyboard music, “Meyster ob allen Meystern” and “Le chant de leschiquier”, as well as a disc dedicated to early 16th century English repertoire, “Early Modern English Music: 1500-1550”.  Since its international debut in 2006, Tasto Solo has performed in prestigious concert halls and early music festivals all over Europe, including L’Auditori de Barcelona, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, Brussels’ BOZAR, Konzerthaus Berlin, Wiener Konzerhaus, Utrecht Oude Muziek Festival, the Fondation Royaumont, Antwerp’s AMUZ and Laus Polyphoniae, Festival de Saintes, Concertgebouw Brugge, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Montalbâne Festival, Académie Bach, Vannes Early Music Institute, Festival de Ribeauvillé, Cantar di Pietre, Wratislavia Cantans, Festival de Música Antigua de Sevilla, Semana de Música Religiosa de Cuenca, Printemps des Arts de Nantes, and Voix et Route Romane, among many others. In 2020 the group made its debut in the USA with a concert tour in collaboration with the Arizona State University Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Tasto Solo is Artist-in-Residence at the Château de Bournazel in Aveyron, France. The ensemble is also associated with the Académie Bach in Arques-la-Bataille, France, for the research and development of new programs.