For most of us, the name Leonardo da Vinci, emblematic figure of the Renaissance, calls to mind the Mona Lisa and her inimitable smile, revolutionary inventions, and an individual who was in every way out of the ordinary. Less well-known is da Vinci’s rather mad scheme, which remained in the planning stages, to build a bridge in Istanbul connecting both banks of the Bosporus, thus providing an interface between Europe and Asia. Unrealistic dream or spark of genius? With Il ponte di Leonardo, Kiya Tabassian and Constantinople transport us on a musical and historical journey to the meeting point between two worlds.
16th- and 17th-century works from manuscripts housed in the national libraries of Istanbul and Florence