Repast: Rosalia | Upper West Side

Opening with the famous final scene from Dido and Aeneas, where Dido states, ‘Remember me! but ah! forget my fate’ as roses are scattered over her tomb, Repast’s Rosalia memorializes remembrance. Rosalia, the Roman Festival of Roses, was a day of rose adornment on the tombs of the dead as mourners reflected on the ways of their ancestors via ‘mos maiorum.’ Roses and violets, the flowers of the Elysian Fields, symbolized rejuvenation, rebirth and memory, even as their red-to-purple color, ‘purpureus,’ evoked blood and bruising in the epic poetry of Virgil. The madrigal Doulce memoire (Sweet Memories), a often-copied pop song of the 17th century, serves as a joyful farewell — this program acts like a memorial service for listeners to remember loved ones. 

Musicians:

Margot Rood, soprano

Rebecca Nelson and Natalie Rose Kress, violins

Stephanie Corwin, bassoon

Sarah Stone, cello

Gabe Shuford, harpsichord

Adam Cockerham, theorbo