Baroque Period

“Possente Spirto” from Monteverdi’s “Orfeo,” Scherzi Musicali

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Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was created in 1607 at the dawn of opera. It remains the earliest work in that rich genre to be performed regularly. Set in five acts, it is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus, who descends into Hades in an unsuccessful attempt to bring his dead bride, Eurydice, back to the living world. The aria, Possente spirto, e formidabil nume (“Mighty spirit and formidable god”), comes from the opera’s third act. Orfeo …

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Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op. 6: No. 2 in F Major: An Intimate Conversation

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An economic calculation led Handel to compose his twelve Concerti Grossi (Op. 6) in the autumn of 1739. Italian opera was falling out of favor with the English public. The 1737 season had been disastrous for the opera company Handel directed, taking a toll on the composer’s finances and health. In an enterprising turn, Handel offered a new genre that would gain quick popularity—the English oratorio. In order to attract audiences and gain …

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Couperin’s “Les Barricades Mystérieuses”: A Sonic Kaleidoscope

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The title of François Couperin’s Les Barricades Mystérieuses (“The Mysterious Barricades”) remains an enigma. One commentator has speculated that it may be a reference to continuous suspensions, or notes which hold over to create “a barricade to the basic harmony.” Others have suggested veiled references to freemasonry, masks worn by performers of Le Mystère ou les Fêtes de l’Inconnu (an event staged in 1714 by one of Couperin’s patrons), women’s eyelashes, or the wine barrels …

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Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in B Major, BWV 868, Diego Ares

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In a recent video clip for the Netherlands Bach Society, the Spanish-born harpsichordist Diego Ares discusses his lifelong relationship with the music of J.S. Bach: He is a wonderful life’s companion. You couldn’t wish for a better one. He is there when you are happy and also when you’re sad. He can comfort you when you are sad and he can lift your spirit. He is a great source of peace. A sense …

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Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 4 in A Minor: A Rich Potpourri

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The twelve Concerto Grossi (Op. 6) composed by Handel in the autumn of 1739 offer a rich potpourri of musical forms. These orchestral suites (“large concertos”) are a collection of stately French overtures, fugues, vibrant Baroque dances, and repurposed opera arias. They pay homage to a genre that was developed by Arcangelo Corelli in the 1680s. Handel wrote the Concerto Grossi, Op. 6 as an added attraction for performances of his oratorios at London’s Lincoln’s …

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Bach’s Flute Sonata in E Minor, BWV 1034: Quicksilver Virtuosity

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Mystery surrounds the exact origin of J.S. Bach’s Flute Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034. It was probably written around 1723 when Bach was employed as Capellmeister for Prince Leopold in Cöthen. Other evidence suggests that it could have been composed slightly later in Leipzig, perhaps for one of the Collegium Musicum concerts at the coffee house, Café Zimmermann. Regardless, the work’s technical demands suggest that it was intended for a musician …

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Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 5 in D Major: “Arise! Arise!”

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The tuneful Voice, was heard from high, Arise! Arise! Arise ye more than dead! – John Dryden (A Song for Saint Cecilia’s Day) Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 5 begins with a joyful musical “call to order.” A celebratory fanfare in the solo violin seems to be the “tuneful voice” from John Dryden’s 1687 poem, urging us to “arise!” In fact, the first, second, and sixth movements of this Concerto Grosso …

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