Golden Age of Baroque

Friday 11 JULY • 7.30PM

The Composers and the Music

• George Friederic Handel (1685-1759) Handel’s Messiah Overture, composed in 1741, is a majestic introduction to his renowned oratorio. Written in E minor, this French-style overture features a solemn, dotted-rhythm opening followed by a lively fugal section. Its dramatic contrasts and rich orchestration set the tone for the sacred narrative, showcasing Handel’s mastery in blending grandeur with emotional depth, captivating audiences for centuries.

• Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) Now mainly famous for the Canon in D, was in his time a much loved organist, composer and teacher, working in Vienna and Eisenach (where he met the Bach family) before returning to his hometown of Nuremberg to take over his old organ teacher’s position as St Sebaldus Church. Had Pachelbel been alive today, he would have been a multi millionaire from the number of times that his Canon in D is played on radio and at weddings all over the world.

• Henry Purcell (1659-1695) The greatest English composer of the Baroque period, Henry Purcell remains an enduring influence on musicians to the present day. His harmonic skill and invention is unique and remains fresh and direct, even 350 years later. The Three Parts Upon a Ground is a perfect example of his musical alchemy, transforming a simple and constant bass line into Ground from serene to jocular, tragic to ebullient. Still at the height of his powers, he succumbed to Tuberculosis aged 36.

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Arguably, the greatest composer to have lived. J.S.Bach’s output was both secular and sacred, as he was employed by the courts of Weimar and Köthen, as well as his most famous tenure as Cantor of St Thomas’s in Leipzig. The “Double” concerto stems from Bach’s time in Leipzig around 1730. The slow movement remains a work of incomparable beauty, uniting form with emotional intensity.

• Georg Philip Telemann (1681-1767) A self taught musician, GPT was incredibly prolific, composing over 3000 pieces for all manner of ensembles. In his surprisingly long lifetime, Telemann became a very wealthy man, not only composing but also publishing his own works. The Viola concerto is one of the staples of the viola repertoire and captures both the freshness and melodic beauty of the viola perfectly.

• Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Superstar of the Italian Baroque, AV (the “Red Priest”) worked as a teacher at the Ospedale della Pieta before moving to the court of Mantua and eventually, to Vienna where, tragically, his future patron Emperor Charles 6th, died shortly after Vivaldi’s arrival. Sadly, Vivaldi died a year after moving to Vienna in poverty. La Folia (“the Madness”) was a very popular dance of the Baroque era, originally from Portugal and spread throughout Europe. It has been adapted/”recomposed” by over 150 composers, including Sergei Rachmaninov — and even Vangelis!  The 4 Seasons: The single most famous piece of Baroque music, written shortly before AV’s arrival at the court of Philip in Mantua. The music is unique in that it portrays the characters, sounds and scenes of the seasons, as played out in a 4 sonnets, possibly penned by AV himself. There is much birdsong, many storms, barking dogs lightning, raindrops, even a few drunken farmers, stamping of feet, chattering of teeth and even some ice skating. How much is man spot!