Orpheus’ Treasure Trove – Fretted and Catchy

Orfeus Baroque, since its formation in 2015, has evolved into an indispensable part of the capital's music scene and a meeting place for both musicians of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and some of Sweden's leading freelance baroque musicians. This time, we hear the ensemble in its more chamber music-oriented setting under the banner of Orpheus’s Treasure Trove. 

The focus is on music for the viola da gamba, a string instrument that was common during the 15th to 17th centuries and comes in several sizes. The sound of the viola da gamba is soft yet intense, and with the movie Tous les matins du monde (1991), both the instrument and the gamba composer Marin Marais gained great attention. Other Renaissance and Baroque masters who composed for the viola da gamba, such as John Dowland, François Couperin, and Johann Sebastian Bach, are also featured.

Here, the music is interspersed with readings of contemporary texts by celebrities such as John Locke, Shakespeare, David Hume, and Molière. The reader is the actor Stina Ekblad, who has participated in countless theater productions, films, and TV productions. Since 1988, she has been a member of the permanent ensemble at the Royal Dramatic Theatre and in recent years has appeared in productions such as The Tempest, The Ghost Sonata, Peer Gynt, The City of Women, and Electra.