Time travel, a long-held human obsession, was made possible by Studium. To begin with, they traded their usual haunts for the Church of La Mercè, consecrated in 1661—nothing is a coincidence—the very time when all the composers featured in this concert were writing the pieces we heard last Monday. Furthermore, they did so with a lineup that would very likely have been quite similar to those of the 17th century: two violins, Ramon Andreu and Bernat Martí; a cello, Rosa Cañellas; an organ, Pedro Aguiló; and two sopranos, Irene Mas and Raquel Ribas. There was no need to close our eyes, or climb into Doc Brown's DeLorean, or enter the time machine imagined by H.G. Wells, nor was it even necessary for the musicians of Studium Aureum's small orchestra, conducted by Carles Ponseti, to use period instruments. Everything was much simpler; just by listening, we were able to enjoy a delightful and rich journey through the Italian Baroque. With such a small effort, we encountered as many as ten contemporary and fellow Italian musicians. The evening began with Girolamo Frescobaldi, with Canzon seconda, for two violins and continuo. From the very first agreements, it was enough to know that the teleportation had been a success. Just in case there were any doubts, the two sopranos were added to perform the Hail most noble virga Jesse, by Michelangelo Grancini, and so on, Dario Castello, Giovanni P. Cima, Salamone Grassi, and Arcangelo Corelli, among others, made an appearance.

Rome's delicatessens are like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Full, colorful, tightly packed, with intense smells and long lines to get in. The comparison, Stefano Paciotti of the salumeria Paciotti, while he cuts me porchetta (pork cooked in the oven with aromatic herbs) to make a sandwich. salumeria Paciotti isn't far from Vatican City, and he's got the comparative phrase down pat. He's probably said it many times. In fact, he makes me look up at the ceiling to check out the wonders hanging there: hams, lungo salami (similar to longanizas but made with mixtures of pork and beef, and seasoned with garlic). And all around, shelves filled with more salami, of other varieties. Also cheeses and cakes, such as crostata (jam cake) or sponge cake (shade to the formation). The Paciotti, like all the salumerias Italian sandwiches with a thousand and one types of bread that the staff explain to you. Of all of them, I choose the focacciaThe sandwich, a good size, cost me €8.50.