The Ars Nova was a revolution that changed the face of musical culture in the late Middle Ages. In the realm of secular song, rhythm fused with metrical texts originated a new style that utilized vernacular language and polyphony to sing about love. Coating poetic forms such as the ballad, the madrigal, and the caccia with sound and rhythm gave them a new life. COMTESSA presents a program of the Ars Nova in Italy, featuring the works of Jacopo da Bologna, Giovanni da Firenze, Andrea Stefani, Magister Pietro, Francesco Landini, and Johannes Ciconia. COMTESSA is joined by a team of talented and distinguished musicians of the Montreal scene: Élodie Bouchard (singer), Leah Weitzner (singer), Maria Gajraj (organetto), and Esther-Ruth Teel (harp).