Quintus pushes the limits of the Italian Baroque. The unusual combination of instruments and the ensemble’s search for eccentric and extreme musical colours form the basis for their exciting and passionate performances. The ensemble is formed by soprano, natural trumpet, luit, baroque cello and harpsichord. The instrumentation creates contrasting programs and sets Quintus apart from others with a different sound and feeling.

The Repertoire

Quintus dedicates itself to discovering and presenting the seldom visited and highly emotional works of the early and late Italian Baroque. The Italian Baroque was a fertile time for musical experimentation which lead to many colourful and dramatic compositions. Drama plays a great role in the performances of Quintus and it is collaboratively expressed with virtuosity and intimacy.

There is a relatively small but interesting repertoire for trumpet, soprano, and continuo which despite its utmost virtuosity and sparkle is seldom heard. Quintus also explores the popular repertoire for soprano and continuo, often performing the lesser known works of this genre. 

The programs feature music for soprano and trumpet by Alessandro Scarlatti and Melani as well as cantatas from Handel’s Roman period and earlier composers such as Merula, Strozzi, and Luigi Rossi. These works are complimented with solo repertoire by composers such as Domenico Gabrieli, Kapsberger, and Fantini.

The Ensemble

Quintus, representing four continents, has been offering this unique repertoire and its flamboyant style of performance to audiences throughout Europe. Quintus was a prizewinner in the Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Concours in Austria in 2002. They have been invited to perform in prestigious festivals such as Innsbruck’s Tage für Alte Musik, the Festival de Musica Antiga in Barcelona, France’s Auvergne Festival (Bach and Combrailles), as well as the Oudemuziek Festival in Utrecht. Quintus has also been featured in prominent chamber music series such as Amsterdam’s Noorderkerk Concerten, and the Oude Muziek-Nieuwe Generatie series in Delft’s Prinsenhof Museum. They will also be performing in the 2007/2008 Netwerk series with concerts throughout Belgium and The Netherlands.