Opening with the famous final scene from Dido and Aeneas, where Dido states, ‘Remember me! but ah! forget my fate’ as roses are scattered over her tomb, Repast’s Rosalia memorializes remembrance. Rosalia, the Roman Festival of Roses, was a day of rose adornment on the tombs of the dead as mourners reflected on the ways of their ancestors via ‘mos maiorum.’ Roses and violets, the flowers of the Elysian Fields, symbolized rejuvenation, rebirth, and memory, even as their red-to-purple color, ‘purpureus,’ evoked blood and bruising in the epic poetry of Virgil. The madrigal Doulce memoire (Sweet Memories), a often-copied pop song of the 17th century, serves as a joyful farewell — this program acts like a memorial service for listeners to remember loved ones. Music by Henry Purcell, Isabella Leonarda, Barbara Strozzi, Marieta Prioli, Pierre Sandrin, Diego Ortiz, Albert de Rippe, and Hernando de Cabezón.

Musicians:
Margot Rood, soprano
Rebecca Nelson and Natalie Rose Kress, violins
Stephanie Corwin, bassoon
Sarah Stone, cello
Gabe Shuford, harpsichord
Adam Cockerham, theorbo