Release day | A Question, An Answer | photobook and CD | ENG

PRESS RELEASE

A Question | An Answer
Baroque Meditations on Life and Death
Photobook + CD
NovAntiqua Records, 2024

link alla grafica in HD della confezione

"Having been taught the art of war, which is also my profession, the only effeminate part of me was music, which was always generous to me, for I was never a mercenary to it." Tobias Hume, 1605

We are thrilled to announce the release of "A Question | An Answer," a unique project by Stefano Zanobini, principal viola of the Orchestra della Toscana, who explores the philosophical themes of the music by Baroque composer and mercenary Tobias Hume with his viola d'amore. The project is enriched by evocative photographs by Finnish photographer Ari Jaaksi.

"A Question | An Answer" is divided into three parts. In the first part, Stefano Zanobini interprets martial music reflecting Hume's tragic profession as a mercenary in the Swedish and Russian armies. In the second part, dance movements represent Hume's attempt to find solace in music. The final part features pieces with evocative titles like "Life" and "Death," "A Question" and "An Answer," tackling philosophical dilemmas about the meaning of life. This section concludes with a hymn to eternity, where Hildegard Kuen's viola joins the viola d'amore.

Ari Jaaksi, a photographer specializing in analog photography, has created a visual journey parallel to the musical pieces, with images ranging from violent to dreamy, calm to agitated. These photographs are collected in a photobook (28x28cm) included with the CD.

Project Details:

1. Tobias Hume and the Art of War Little is known about Tobias Hume, a skilled officer who lived as a mercenary. Information about him comes mainly from the prefaces of his musical collections (1605 and 1607) and petitions to English nobility. He died poor and abandoned.

2. Tobias Hume and the Viola da Gamba Hume was a virtuoso of the viola da gamba and an ardent supporter of the instrument. He was criticized by the renowned composer John Dowland for claiming that the viola da gamba was superior to the lute.

3. Tobias Hume and Stefano Zanobini Stefano Zanobini interprets some of Hume's most beautiful pieces with the viola d'amore, divided into three sections. The first echoes the sounds of war, the second celebrates Hume's musical side with joyful dances, and the third delves into deep, philosophical themes with titles like "Life" and "Death."

4. Music and Photography The CD package is the size of a photobook (28x28cm) and includes photographs by Ari Jaaksi, who has paired each musical piece with a powerful and personal photographic interpretation.

For further information, interviews, and press inquiries, please contact: info@novantiqua.net

Promotional material, including photographs, album copies, and digital tracks, are available upon request.