© Suzanne Norris
’t Kabinet over ’t Kabinet
Wunderkabinett by Johann Spitzmacher, Augsburg c. 1660 -1670
In the 17th and 18th centuries, when the well-to-do returned to their homelands after traveling the known world for pure pleasure (the first tourists!), they would collect all their strange souvenirs and display them proudly, often in ornate cases or cabinets. These were known as Cabinets of Wonder, Curiosity Cabinets, Wunderkabinetten, etc.
Suzanne Norris’s Wonder Cabinet inspired print
Artifacts from Europe, Africa, the Holy Land, laid side by side, some forgeries, others not, all together in one place for the pleasure of all who dreamt of the unknown.
The violas d’amore in Bach’s St John Passion, Good Friday 2016
Likewise, our ensemble proudly seeks out and collects the beautiful oddities and sublime works of the baroque era in order to give them new light and luster, performing at the highest degree possible using authentic instruments or masterful copies, combined with historically-informed performing techniques. Since 2014 in residence at the celebrated Westerkerk in Amsterdam, we invite you to come experience this eternal music as it was meant to be performed, filled with passion and awe.
Thanks are owed…
None of this would have been possible without the support of the Westerkerk, namely Marian Jaspers and Cristina Pumplum, our stalwart conductor of the Westerkerkkoor, JanJoost van Elburg, Suzanne Norris for giving permission to use her beautiful Curiosity Cabinet prints, Yuki Cheng for all her photos, and last but the very opposite of least, Hyung Joong Kim, for not only lighting the fire beneath me to get this done, but also dedicating countless hours to ensure it did - 영원히 사랑해
