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Event
Season Pass Crescendo 2019-20
COMPLETE SEASON LISTING OF CRESCENDOS 15th ANNIVERSARY SEASON 2019-20
LATE SUMMER 2019 CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS: A Due Stromenti
17th Century Italian Music with Two Instruments
September 7, 2019 at 4 pm - Saint James Place (Great Hall), Great Barrington, MA
September 8, 2019 at 4 pm - Trinity Church, Lakeville, CT
The season opening concert explores rarely-heard, exquisite repertoire for theorbo and harpsichord by Johann Hieronymus Kapsberger, Giovanni Pittoni and Bellerofonte Castaldi, and keyboard works by Girolamo Frescobaldi and Claudio Merulo. The theorbo is the largest member of the lute family of instruments that was developed around the end of the 16th century primarily to accompany small vocal and instrumental chamber ensembles as well as solo vocal music. Its use as a solo instrument was an afterthought, but innovators on theorbo left behind a small repertoire of high quality. Rarer still was its use as an obbligato instrument in chamber music.
Hideki Yamaya, theorbo and tiorbino, and Christine Gevert, harpsichord and organ
FALL 2019 CHORAL CONCERTS: Baroque Splendor: Bach's Magnificat and Handel's Coronation Anthems
Crescendo Celebrates its 15th Anniversary!
October 26, 2019 at 4 pm - Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA
October 27, 2019 at 4 pm - Trinity Church, Lakeville, CT
Crescendo presents Baroque music for chorus, soloists, and a period instrument orchestra. Together they will perform two of choral musics greatest masterworks, Johann Sebastian Bachs Magnificat BWV 243 and George Frideric Handels Coronation Anthems HWV 258-261. The program will include an Aria and Chorales from Bachs much-loved Christmas Oratorio BWV 248, with opportunities for audience participation. In its splendor and jubilation Bachs Magnificat anticipates the great choruses of Bachs later works, such as the Mass in B Minor. Handel's festive Coronation Anthems were originally commissioned for the coronation of Great Britains George II, and have become standard for later coronations.
Crescendo Chorus, and soloists Julianne Baird and Jennifer Tyo, sopranos, Nicholas Tamagna, countertenor, Philip Anderson, tenor, Joseph Charles Beutel, bass with period instrument orchestra, directed by Christine Gevert
HOLIDAY 2019 CONCERTS: A Tale of Divine Love and the River Spirit
Acis y GalateaA Spanish Baroque Semi-Staged Comic Opera
December 28, 2019 at 4 pm - Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA
December 29, 2019 at 4 pm - Methodist Church, Lakeville, CT
Antonio de Líteress Acis y Galatea (1708) is a zarzuela in two acts with a libretto by José de Cañizares. The work quickly became one of the most famous of zarzuelas, the Spanish popular music-drama form that flourished in the late Baroque. Zarzuelas were a blend of sung and spoken episodes, usually performed by women actors who took both male and female roles, featuring characters that often are a mixture of gods, mythological creatures and rustic or pastoral comedy characters. This work tells of the love between mortal Acis and the sea-nymph Galatea. Líteres brilliantly weaves together Italianate da capo arias, French sung minuets, and Spanish seguidillas (sung popular dances). The singers are accompanied by traditional Baroque instruments and castanets, which give a typical Spanish flavor. A small group of ensemble singers act as a traditional Greek Chorus, commenting in fast-moving and rhythmical choruses on the dramatic action.
Salomé Sandoval, mezzo soprano (Acis), Baroque guitar, percussion and co-director, Catherine Hancock, soprano (Galatea), Malina Rauschenfels, mezzo soprano (Tisbe), Roman Testroet, baritone (Momo), Tom Schindler, (Polyphemo), are joined by Crescendos Vocal Ensemble Singers, and period instrument players Tricia Van Oers, recorder, Christa Patton, recorder and Baroque harp, Hideki Yamaya, Baroque guitar. Christine Gevert leads this semi-staged performance from the harpsichord.
WINTER 2020 CONCERTS: Thanksgivings for Life and Love
16th Century Spanish Polyphony and Contemporary Latin American Folk Music
February 1, 2020 at 4 pm - Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA
February 2, 2020 at 4 pm - Methodist Church, Lakeville, CT
The concepts of Thanksgiving, The Dove, The Dew, Mary, Weeping and Remembrance are portrayed in Hispanic works of two different eras and styles. Featured are motets for four to six voices by Tomas Luis de Victoria, Francisco Guerrero and Antonio Lobosome of the most remarkable composers of 16th century Spanish polyphony. Works include Victorias Te Deum, Guerreros Maria Magdalena, and Loboss Versa est in luctum, among others. In contrast, choral and instrumental arrangements of Latin American folk melodies of the 20th and 21st centuries by Carlos Guastavino (Argentina), Violeta Parra and Victor Jara (Chile), and others are celebrated as Canto Nuevo (The New Song). Some of the most famous themes are Parras Gracias a la vida, and Guastavinos Se equivocó la paloma. The poetry of these newer works includes texts by Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral, and one of the greatest literary figures of the Silver Age of Spanish literature, Rafael Alberti.
Crescendo Vocal Ensemble is joined by Alturas Duo, Carlos Boltes, charango and viola, and Scott Hill, guitar, and Gonzalo Cortés, quena, zampoña and percussion. Directed by Christine Gevert from the organ.
EARLY SPRING 2020 CHORAL CONCERTS: Music Across Borders
17th Century and Contemporary Choral Music from Poland, Latvia, Czech Republic and Germany
March 28, 2020 at 4 pm - Trinity Church, Lakeville, CT
March 29, 2020 at 4 pm - Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA
As Italian Baroque music influenced all countries strongly in the 17th and 18th centuries, national styles then developed, and started to influence each other. This program explores repertoire of some of the countries in Eastern Europe and the influence composers there had on composers of other regions such as Germany. The festive Baroque choral works by Szarzyski, Gorczycki, Telemann, Meder and ernohorský feature strings and Baroque trumpets in the orchestra. They will be contrasted with contemporary works by Eenvalds (Latvia), Lukaszewski (Poland), and Luká (Czech Republic). Works include Szarzynskis Completorium, Gorczyckis Laetatus sum, Meders Jubilate Deo omnis terra, Eenvaldss Stars (accompanied with seldom-heard tuned musical glasses), and Lukás Pater noster op. 263 among others.
Crescendo Chorus and soloists, with period instrument players, directed by Christine Gevert.
SPRING 2020 CONCERT: An Evening in the Home of J.S. Bach
Julianne Baird Sings Arias by Bach and His Children
April 18, at 6 pm - Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA
The world-renowned Early Music soprano, Julianne Baird, offers a solo recital, which provides a glimpse into the domestic music of the 18th century, and the musical tastes of the Bach family. Most of the works are from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena, a manuscript notebook that Johann Sebastian Bach presented to his second wife, Anna Magdalena. The recital will include arias: Gedenke doch, Bist du bei mir, Willst du dein Herz mir schenken, Schlummert ein, arias from Bachs Hunt Cantata BWV 208, and from his Wedding Cantata BWV 202; and harpsichord works, such as the First Prelude of The Well-Tempered Clavier BWV 846/1, and the Aria of the Goldberg Variations BWV 988/1, among others. Songs and arias from his sons Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Christian Bach, and from his grandson Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach will round out the program.
Julianne Baird, soprano, and Christine, harpsichord
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LocationMultiple: Saint James Place, Trinity Church, United Methodist Church (View)
352 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 4 |
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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