Nicolaas Rockox and Frans Snijders were pivotal figures in Antwerp in the Baroque era. Both left their mark on the cultural and social life of their city. Nicolaas as mayor, Frans as a skilled painter of animals and still lifes. For twenty years they were neighbours: they lived in two adjoining houses on the Keizerstraat.
The Duarte family was one of the most musical families of 17th-century Antwerp. The Duartes were well-known important jewellers. But it was above all their musical talents that contemporaries spoke of with admiration. The house concerts organised by the family attracted visitors from all over Europe to Antwerp. In addition, the Duartes were friends with many musicians and the famous harpsichord makers Ruckers-Couchet.
The music room
Since 2018, Museum Vleeshuis and the Snijders&Rockox House have introduced you to these forgotten musical Antwerp natives, in Gaspar Duarte's Music Room in the Snijders&Rockox House.
You can see several masterpieces from the collection of Museum Vleeshuis, including the Andreas Ruckers harpsichord (1644) and the Joannes Couchet viola (1650). Together with rare paintings and the music of Gaspar's daughter Leonora Duarte, you can discover the sound of 17th-century Antwerp. You can find more info on the website of Snijders&Rockox House.
In 2016, Timothy De Paepe wrote Een netwerk van luxe (A Network of Luxury) (pdf) about the Duarte's professional life, at the request of museum DIVA.
Recording: 'The Duarte Circle'
At the request of Museum Vleeshuis, baroque ensemble Transports Publics recorded a CD of the music of Leonora Duarte and of friends and contemporaries of the Duartes.
What kind of music was played at the Duartes' house concerts? Musician Thomas Baeté (Transports Publics) and director Timothy De Paepe (Museum Vleeshuis) set to work to find out the answer. The result is a CD of music by Leonora Duarte, Constantine Huygens, Guillielmus Messaus, John Bull, Nicholas Lanier, Girolamo Frescobaldi and others.
Moreover, it is the first ever recording of all of Leonora Duarte's music. The recording was released on the Musica Ficta label, and was made possible with the financial support of KBC.
Playing yourself
Would you like to play Leonora Duarte's music yourself? At the request of Museum Vleeshuis, Korneel Bernolet arranged two of Leonora's five-part sinfonias for keyboard, so that you can (also) play them at home. Take the challenge and discover the sound of the Antwerp Baroque.
You can download the scores here: Sinfonia 1 and Sinfonia 7.
