Take a musical journey through Europe, featuring the diverse flavors of Baroque works from England, Germany, Poland, France, Italy, and Spain. During almost every era of Western art music, various national styles contributed greatly to the works that were composed and then heard by audiences. Some composers rarely strayed, if at all, from their indigenous norms, while others made great efforts to incorporate and feature the musical styles of other lands. Telemann, for example, enjoyed borrowing other national styles, especially from folk idioms. This program features compositions that capture those inherent popular flavors.
You won't want to miss what will be a thrilling performance of Vivaldi’s virtuoso trio sonata, "La Follia," that palpably captures the frenzied hysteria of the title’s meaning of "madness!" Two violins and the basso continuo players are given equal challenges and equal opportunities to contribute to the heated display. The combination of Vivaldi’s Italian style with a melody and context from Portugal adds up to a fascinating excursion to the sounds of Southern Europe’s Iberian and Italian peninsulas.
Bach's "Peasant Cantata" will be charmingly performed (and sung in English!) by soprano Nola Richardson and baritone Mischa Bouvier. It's a one-of-a-kind piece that shows how Bach was able to use folk and popular melodies in this rustic and amusing piece for voices, strings, horn, and flute.
Presented in the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, you'll enjoy great music in a beautiful setting.