Zweigulden presents a journey through the social, political, and religious environment that led to the famous dancing plague of 1518 using Renaissance music from the Upper Rhine, historical eyewitness accounts, and contemporary dance.
Paracelsus reports that Frau Troffea was the first of a growing group overcome by the need to dance, even unto death. The city council struggles with how to handle the curse of St. Veit – first by hiring musicians (yes, flute and drum!) and forcing the dancers to “dance it out”, then by legislating a quarantine (banning the flute and drum), and finally by seeking spiritual healing in the mountaintop chapel of St. Veit.
Music by Mathias Greitter, Hans Kotter, Thomas Stoltzer, Martin Luther, Katharina Schütz Zell, Johann Frosch, and more.
The Curse of St. Veit – Ensemble Zweigulden
Grace Newcombe – voice, gothic harp
Elizabeth Sommers – Renaissance violin, viola d’arco
Marc Lewon – lute, gittern, cittern, voice
Philipp Wingeier – Renaissance drum, recitation
Christian Senatore – contemporary dance; choreography
Laetitia Kohler – contemporary dance; choreography
Holly Scarborough – transverse flute, pipe and tabor; direction
Partners
A mysterious story…
presented with Renaissance music and contemporary dance
See “The Curse of St. Veit” in concert
These concerts are made possible by the support of the following foundations:
Sulger Stiftung
Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank
Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung
Migros Kulturprozent
Basel Stadt Kulturpauschale
Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung SIS
Ernst-Göhner-Stiftung
Bürgergemeinde Bern
Christoph Merian Stiftung