Free Preview: Italian Fire @ St Peter Public Library

Join us as we present a casual preview performance of our concert “Italian Fire.” We’ll offer some musical selections from our concert, talk about the composers, interesting tidbits about musical history, and give you the details about why we play using gut strings.

Concert Description:

An explosion of fiery passions, virtuosity, and inspiration

La Grande Bande opens the 24/25 Season­, and our celebration of George Frideric Handel’s 340th birthday, with a program of virtuosic music from early Italy. Handel’s time in Italy, studying and performing with many of the leading composers and musicians of the day, was crucial to forming his career and his musical voice.

This program will illustrate the evolution of the “Italian style” from its earliest contrapuntal origins in the Renaissance to the high-Baroque sonatas of Corelli and Handel himself. Internationally-acclaimed violinist Chloe Prendergast, crowd-favorite Allen Hamrick (dulcian), and La Grande Bande’s continuo band will open the Sixth Season with an explosion of virtuosity an Italian passion.