Sarabanda, Giga, e Passacaglia - Bach, Rich Coch, and Tommaso Nicoli

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🎶 We risk losing beauty — but we do everything we can to preserve it, transmit it, and bring it back to life.
Music, the Middle Ages, and Beauty.

That’s what we dedicated ourselves to during a magical week in July 2025, in San Quirico d’Orcia — a small village in the province of Siena, nestled in the Val d’Orcia: one of the most stunning valleys in Tuscany, in Italy, and perhaps in the world.

Together with Marco Mencoboni, I (Richardus) led an immersive week of Renaissance and Baroque music.

Marco focused on teaching the repertoire, using the magnificent harpsichords built by Bruce Kennedy and the Renaissance organ inaugurated by Adriano Banchieri himself.
I, on the other hand, taught dance improvisation, Renaissance counterpoint on the organ, partimenti, cantus firmus, and much more.

Yes, it was a summer course — but it was also something more.

Each day brought new music, fresh improvisations, and a concert every evening.
An unforgettable week. We all had a great time — and if you join us for a future edition, you’ll experience it for yourself (and you’ll even get the rare chance to see me… without my hat 😄).

🎥 In this video, taken from one of the evening concerts, I perform two of my compositions: a Sarabande and an Italian Gigue from my Suite in B Minor.
Then I improvise a modulation to C minor as an introduction to the Passacaglia by J. S. Bach, beautifully played by Tommaso Niccccoli (yes, with three C’s!).

So… what are you waiting for?
Enjoy the video now!

Tommaso Nicoli: https://www.instagram.com/tommaso.nicoli
Richardus Cochlearius: https://www.instagram.com/richardus_cochlearius