The name “Gli Schiavoni” was inspired by the famous “Riva degli Schiavoni” in Venice, which was named for the Slavic merchants who arrived there with their ships during the period of the Republic of Venice and brought cargo from across the Adriatic Sea, which is coast of today’s Croatia. These regions were called “Schiavonia” in old venetian dialect – hence the name “Gli Schiavoni”.
Their connection here is twofold – firstly, the Gli Schiavoni ensemble come from the “Schiavonia” region, and secondly, most of the music that they perform was composed under the influence of venetian masters. They began cooperating as early music enthusiasts wishing to discover more about early music and about the Croatian musical heritage. The ensemble formed in December 2024 when they were invited to participate in a musical residency in Opatija with the Kvarner festival, where they recognized the possibility of forming a new Croatian early music ensemble.
Considering the fact that the Croatian traditional musical heritage is extremely rich, it was natural for them to explore a specific part of music history from which this heritage originates. Since this period of history, which is the late 17th and early 18th century, there has been a mixture of Croatian and Italian influences in the area of modern-day Croatia.
Distribution
- Antonija Zarkovic voice soprano
- Mislav Lucic voice tenor
- Antonia Pavic cello
- Josip Krokar archlute, guitar
- Benjamin Höhle harpsichord, organ