Venice - the ‘incomparable city, the most beautiful queen, this paradise’ - is how the Englishman Thomas Coryat describes the lagoon city that deeply impressed him on his trip to Europe in 1608. But in addition to the architecture, the canals and the people from a wide variety of cultures, it was the music in particular that fascinated Coryat: ‘It was so beautiful, so delightful, so unique, so admirable, so unsurpassable that it enchanted and amazed all the strangers.’

Inspired by his impressive descriptions, ensemble feuervogel follows Coryat on his voyage of discovery through the alleyways, squares and canals of the Serenissima: from the magnificent St Mark's Basilica to the noble palazzi of the Venetian aristocracy and the elegant courts where music, dance and courtly art played a central role. The concert program Observations of Venice brings ornate diminutions and madrigals into dialogue with dance music, ricercars and canzonas. In this way, ensemble feuervogel receives the music of the Venetian cinquecento, which Coryat wrote was ‘so beautiful that I would willingly walk a hundred miles at any time to hear the like of it.’