What a joy it is to still be playing this vast, rich, and colourful repertoire with the finest colleagues in the world on organ/harpsichord, and cello/viola da gamba, theorbo/guitarAlbert-Jan Roelofs, Jaap ter Linden, Douglas McNames, David Miller respectively:
Elizabeth Wallfisch, Albert-Jan Roelofs, Douglas McNames, with/without Baroque Flute
PROGRAMMES-A selection:
The Mystery of the Mysteries
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber:
12 August, 1644 - died 3 May, 1704
Mystery Sonatas, Rosary sonatas:
(Mysterien Sonaten,Die Rosenkranz-Sonaten) For violin and Basso Continuo
A Musical Feast of the Rosary:
The Mystery Tour, Meditations on the Rosary
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Mystery Sonatas
1;The Annunciation:
Preludium, Variatio, Aria allegro, Adagio
2;Mary's Visit to Elizabeth:
Sonata, Alleman, Presto
3;The Birth of Christ:
Sonata, Presto, Courante, double, Adagio
4;The Presentation in the Temple: Ciaccona
5;The 12 year old in the Temple:
Preludium, Alleman, Guigue, Saraban
6;The Agony in the Garden:
Lamento, Adagio
7;The Scourging:
Allamanda, Variatio, Sarabande, Variatio,
8;The Crowning with thorns:
Sonata-adagio, Presto, Guigue, Double-presto, Double
9;The Carrying of the Cross:
Sonata, Courente, Double, Finale
10;The Crucifixion:
Praeludium, Aria, Adagio, (the earthquake is heard at the end, the ground shakes)
11;The Resurrection:
Sonata, Surexit Christus Hodie (hymn), Adagio
12;The Ascension:
'Aria tubicinum', Allemanda, Courente, Double
13;The Sending of the Holy Ghost:
Sonata,Gavott, Guigue, Sarabanda
14;The Assumption of Mary:
--, Aria, Guigue
15;The Coronation of the Virgin:
Sonata, Aria, Canzon, Sarabanda
16;The Guardian Angel-Passacalia
Mystery: 'Harmony of Natural and Supernatural Truth'
Biber more than adequately illustrates this, a harmonic journey into a mysterious world of prayer and meditation, on the mysteries surrounding the birth, life and death of Christ.
'The Feast of the Rosary'
"The Rosary", says the Roman Breviary, "is a certain form of prayer,
an antidote to heresy and sin.
It is believed that Heaven has on many occasions rewarded the faith of those who had recourse to this devotion in times of special danger.
The First week of October was designated from the late 16thcentury throughout Catholic Europe, the time to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, faith over unbelief, by processions, and devotions.
These Sonatas are exquisite spiritual examples of the devotional writings of Heinrich Biber, at the service of the greater power in which he had such a profound belief.
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6x6x6
SixxSixxSixxSix
Johann Sebastian Bach
Inspiring and wonderful programmes made uniquely from:
The Great collections of 6
6 Partitas and Sonatas for Violin alone.
6 Sonatas for violin and obbligato harpsichord
6 Partitas for harpsichord alone
with as an honoured guest:
the 6 Suites for Cello Alone
An infinity of combinations, everyone's favourites!
Elizabeth Wallfisch Violin,
Albert-Jan Roelofs, Harpsichord,
Our guest, Jaap ter Linden, cello.
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Handel, Handel and Handel?
A night at the opera- perhaps…
Instrumental works by GF Handel, for flute and violin, harpsichord and basso continuo
Featuring his operas-
Athalia
Parnasso in festa
Alcina
Radamisto
Esther
Theodora
Jeptha
Acis and Galatea
'The harmonious blacksmith'- not an opera!
Il pastor fido
Amadigi
Flavio
Rodelinda
Riccardo Primo
Rinaldo
Floridante
Radamisto
Muzio Scevola
HWV 399: Trio Sonata in G major, Op 5 No 4 for 2 treble instruments
Published: 1739
Borrowings:
"Allegro" from the ouverture toAthalia
"A tempo ordinario" from bothAthalia and the serenadeParnasso in festa
"Passacaille" was originally one of the dances written forRadamisto
"Gigue" is borrowed from the divertimento,Terpsichore
Menuet is borrowed from the ballet music inAlcina
HWV 378: Flute Sonata in D major
Perhaps byJohann Sigismund Weiss, c. 1690-1737). Composed: circa 1707
Borrowings: Handel reused the opening theme in two other sonatas: first in the central Largo of the Flute Sonata in E-minor, and secondly in one of his latest instrumental works, the Violin Sonata in D Major
Notes: No autograph- but MS of 18th Century solo sonatas in the Brussels Royal Conservatory, published in facsimilie in 1979, and is there attributed to'Sr Weisse' The attributions are unreliable however, and David Lasocki and Terence Best have reassigned the sonata to Handel.
HWV 430: Suite de pièce in E major for harpsichord, Vol 1 No 5
-The Harmonious BlacksmithorAir and Variations in E major
Published: 1720
HWV 371: Violin Sonata in D major
Circa 1749-50
contemporary with the oratorioTheodora
Borrowings:
Handel reused the final movement as a Sinfonia in the last act of his oratorioJephtha.
The opening Affetuoso has already appeared in two earlier solo sonatas: the recently discovered Flute Sonata in D and the 5-movement Flute Sonata in E minor.
The Larghetto is constructed out of motifs from the two arias,'Lascia omai'from the cantataIl Delirio Amorosoand'Nube che il sole'fromRiccardo Primo
Final chorus ofAcis and Galatea
This sonata represents Handel's last piece of chamber music.
Interval
HWV 395:Handel, or is it:
Trio Sonata in E minor, for flute, violin and bass continuo
Probably composed byJohann Adolph Hasse(1699-1783)!
HWV 359a: Violin Sonata in D minor
Composed: circa 1724
Borrowings:
The original version of the Flute Sonata in E minor, Op 1 No 1b (HWV 359b).
Handel reused the first and last movements in the E minor flute sonata.
Notes: The D minor sonata, headed "Sonata 2", follows the G minor sonata in the Fitzwilliam Museum autograph. Originally written for violin and published in two different E minor versions for the flute. See Flute Sonata in E minor, Op 1 No 1b (HWV 359b)
HWV 359b: Flute Sonata in E minor, Op 1 No 1b
Composed: circa 1724
Published: 1732
Borrowings: The original version of this is the Violin Sonata in D minor HWV 359a.
Notes: Of the two sonatas published by Chrysander as Op 1 No 1, this is the one in the original edition, Chrysander's No. 1A being taken from MSS, they have in common only the opening and closing movements.
HWV 456: Keyboard arrangements for overtures to Italian operas
Composed: circa 1720-7
Notes: Autograph survives.
HWV 456.1: Overture to"Il pastor fido"
HWV 456.2: Overture to"Amadigi"
HWV 456.3: Overture to"Flavio"
HWV 456.4: Overture to "Rodelinda"
HWV 456.5: Overtureto "Riccardo Primo"
HWV 464: Air in F majorComposed: circa 1724-6
Notes: Version of Air from the"Water Music"
HWV 389: Trio Sonata in F major, Op 2 No 4, for violin, flute and basso continuo-Op 2 No 5Chrysander's "G. F. Handel's Werke,"
Composed: circa 1718-22 Published: 1733
The Larghetto appears in the overture to Esther