by Phil Freeman

Camerata Mediolanense is an Italian group who combine darkwave and post-punk with Renaissance and Baroque musical ideas and vocal techniques. The group was founded by harpsichordist/musicologist Elena Previdi in 1994. Their new album, Le Vergini Folli (“The Foolish Virgins”), comes out October 27 via Prophecy Productions. Six of its eight tracks feature lyrics drawn from poetry by Italian women, and the other two are pulled from the works of Petrarch. The music is primarily built around piano and female vocals, but it’s hardly bare-bones; there’s a lot going on here.

We’re premiering a video for their new single, “Pace non trovo.” Group founder Elena Previdi says of the clip:

“The video of ‘Pace non trovo’ is produced by Luminiza’s Matt Production (a former member of Camerata Mediolanense) and directed by English/Portuguese film maker and photographer Steve Stoer. This is their second production for Camerata Mediolanense, as they also created the video of ‘Canzone alla Vergine’ in 2013.

“‘Pace non trovo’ is based on a famous poem by Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), where he talks about opposite feelings he’s dealing with: ‘I find no peace and I make no war’ or ‘I burn, and I am ice’ or ‘I fly above the sky and fall to earth.’ The last line explains the situation: ‘I am in this state, Lady, because of you’. The music, composed by me, assumes this situation splitting opposite feelings to opposite voices, male/female. The two singers are 3Vor, baritone, and Desiree Corapi, soprano: a piano, played by me, is the only instrument accompanying them.

“Stoer interprets the song filming 3Vor and Desiree walking in Venice, along roads and on bridges; the puzzling dual situation is amplified in some takes by a mirror effect.”

Watch the video: