Concert III: Lively Entertainments

With no Netflix, video games, or television, seventeenth-century entertainment was much different than ours today. Operas, ballets, horse ballets (yes, seriously!), cards, and banquets were but a few entertainment options. Now considered great musical treasures, Handel’s Sinfonia in B-flat, his cantata Apollo e Dafne, and Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.1, were examples of entertainment for many common people. These selections will also feature baroque flute, baroque oboe, and baroque bassoon. The cantata will be sung in Italian with projected English translations.

Much of the Baroque music we think of as high art was used as background music or was regarded as “popular” music. Handel’s famous Water Music acted as iTunes for King George I’s summer trip down the River Thames in 1717. Even Telemann’s famous Tafelmusik entertained diners at his patron’s banquet.

The concert will be presented using Baroque oboes, Baroque bassoon, Baroque strings, and Baroque continuo instruments. Texts will be sung in Italian with projected English translations. Program book coming soon.

Program
Johann Sebastian Bach, Ouverture in C, BWV 1066
George Frideric Handel, Sinfonia in B-Flat, HWV 347
George Frideric Handel, La terra è liberata (Apollo e Dafne), HWV 122

Admission: $5 (advance), $7 (at the door)

Program Booklet: download here.