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CONCERT ARCHIVES

Renaissance & Baroque, Bringing Early Music to Pittsburgh, presents authentic performances (on period instruments) of early music, which we generally consider to be the period from the Medieval through the early Classical period (about 1800).



2009-2010 CONCERT SEASON

Aulos Ensemble
Handel's Aviary

On the wings of a dove! The Aulos Ensemble explores the amazing use of birdsong in Baroque music. Soar to the banks of the river Seine with the lyric talents of Rameau’s Hebe…Hear Handel’s opera arias all atwitter…Experience the force of nature in Bach’s sacred arias...Watch Rameau tame the savage breast…

Saturday, September 26, 2009   8:00 pm Synod Hall

Click Here to read Program Notes



The Medieval Beasts, featuring Patrick Ball
The Flame of Love:
The Legend of Tristan & Iseult


The long, dark nights of Medieval Europe were rich with stories.But one legend was told and beloved beyond all others, that of Tristan and Iseult. Filled with love, passion, magic, and death, it captivated listeners because it was the mirror of their own hearts, minds and souls. This made for evenings of brilliance and enchantment throughout the Dark Ages. The Flame of Love brings this same enchantment into our own time and place.

Saturday, October 24, 2009   8:00 pm Synod Hall



Apollo's Fire
Mediterranean Nights:
Sultry Songs & Passionate Dances from Italy and Spain

Escape the winter doldrums in an evening of captivating Spanish and Italian love songs, driving dances, castanets, and foot percussion. The intimate world of 17th-century tunes, ballads, and dances will set sparks flying with daring instrumental improvisations. Our sojourn explores the passionate chamber works of Castello, Marini, Uccellini, Merula and Hidalgo. Boccherini’s Fandango Quintet brings the evening to a red hot finish.

Saturday, November 7, 2009   8:00 pm Synod Hall



Chris Norman & David Greenberg
In the Fields in Frost and Snow

A musical celebration of the winter season drawn from the roots of Canada’s Maritime musical heritage interwoven with works by C.P.E. Bach, Telemann, and Tartini. Come explore these musical traditions with a keen eye to their European sources and roots in 16th to 19th century Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, and France. Enthusiasm, imagination, and a palpable sense of fun will be the hallmarks of our holiday cheer!

Saturday, December 5, 2009   8:00 pm Synod Hall



Newberry Consort
Arcadia Revisited:
A Garden of Earthly Delights

In the wake of fires, famine, war, and the beheading of their King, 17th-century Londoners sought solace in the utopian pastoral fantasy they called Arcadia. The beautiful music of Henry and William Lawes, Nicholas Lanier, John Wilson, and Henry Purcell spun stories of mythological drama and frolicking comedy that entertained nobles and commoner alike.

Saturday, January 23, 2010   8:00 pm Synod Hall

Click Here for Program and Bios


2008-2009 CONCERT SEASON


Chris Norman Ensemble
with Concerto Caledonia,
and the CMU Drama Department


The Battle of Fort Duquesne

A multimedia celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Pittsburgh

R&B's first commissioned work. Leave your muskets at home!

Yinz or Vous? For the answer, explore the complex dynamic of this moment in history as musicians, dancers, and actors tell the story of the decisive "Battle at the Forks" at Pittsburgh's Point.   Follow the battle through the music of 18th century England and France, as well as traditional and First Nations music.   This spectacle comes to life with dance and with the words of John Forbes, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington.

Saturday, September 27, 2008 8:00 pm Synod Hall



Tallis Scholars voted numero uno by R&B audiences!

Tallis Scholars
The Spanish High Renaissance

The early music scene in Spain was not all castanets and roses.  The crystal-clear voices of the Tallis Scholars illuminate the rich musical heritage of late 16th-century Spain.  Sacred choral works of Victoria, Lobo, and Guerrero will inspire and transport you to new heights.

Saturday, October 18, 2008 8:00 pm Calvary Episcopal Church

Click Here to read concert and program notes



Richard Egarr
Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier"

He's bach!  This time playing elegant little pieces, preludes and fuges in all the keys.  Composed in 1722, the Well-Tempered Clavier went unpublished for 51 years after Bach's death.  This music was kept alive through the generations by his students -- and music students ever since.  In Egarr's hands, these Baroque pearls reveal their luster.

Sunday, November 16, 2008 3:00 pm Synod Hall



Rebel
Pastorale: Christmas Concerti
Festive Music & Carols

Not getting enough sheep?  Imagine yourself on the hills outside Rome . . .Italian pastorales on pipes and strings.  Lush 18th-century carols and rustic music by Torelli, Vivaldi, and Telemon round out the herd.

Saturday, December 6, 2008  8:00 pm Synod Hall



A special gift for R&B's 40th anniversary!

King's Noyse
Olde, Newe, Borrowed, Blue

  • Something old -- works by Byrd and Dowland, and ballads, including Barbara Allen.
  • Something new -- English dance tunes in new arrangements.
  • Something borrowed -- English lutes, songs by Purcell and others, reworked for violin band.
  • Something blue -- jazz standards by Gershwin and Berstein.

We know you'll be saying "I do".

Saturday, January 31, 2009 8:00 pm Synod Hall



Performing on beer and wine bottles from their own cellars!

Flanders Recorder Quartet
Banchetto Musicale

A musical banquet of French hors d'oeuvres, Italian antipasti, and a scrumptious array of Flemish desserts.  Let the musicians of Flanders tickle your palate in this program of music written for royal mealtimes.  Sit back and enjoy the house specialty -- dinner music par excellence.

Saturday, Febuary 21, 2009 8:00 pm Synod Hall



Pittsburgh Premiere!

Lucidarium
Radici musicali: Musical Roots of Commedia dell'arte

Commedia dell'arte,the Renaissance equivalent of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, was street theater and social commentary rolled into one.  Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone -- Commedia dell'arte tonight!

Saturday, March 21, 2008 8:00 pm Synod Hall



An R&B top-ten favorite!

Piffaro
London Waits: Music for a Renaissance Wind Band from the time of Elizabeth I.

With 24 years and countless concerts under their collective belt, the musicians of Piffaro bring to Pittsburgh music from Renaissance England fit for a queen.

Saturday, April 18, 2008 8:00 pm Synod Hall



2007-2008 CONCERT SEASON


Spiritus Collective
Italian Baroque Bananza
7 musicians: violins, natural trumpet, sackbuts, theorbo, organ
Witness the birth of the trumpet as Spiritus Collective presents Girolamo Fantini's 17th century sonatas—some of the very first published music for trumpet—along with Gabrieli's masterful organ solos and some rousing violin and trombone duets...Strings and organ and brass, oh my!!
Saturday, September 29, 2007 8:00 pm Synod Hall


Click Here to read concert program and program notes




Red Priest
Nightmare in Venice
4 musicians from England: recorder, violin, cello, harpsichord
Magical, mysterious, fantastical — a theatrical presentation of some of the most extraordinary chamber music of the baroque era. Vivaldi's Nightmare Concerto, Johnson's The Satyrs' Masque, Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata and more. Saturday, October 20, 2007 8:00 pm Synod Hall


Click Here to read concert program and program notes




El Mundo
¡Zarzuela y Opera!
9 musicians: soprano, violins, viola da gamba, guitar, lute, harpsichord
Picture Gilbert and Sullivan in Spain for zarzuela—a unique marriage of spoken word, fiery melody and sensuous drama. El Mundo performs excerpts from Domenico Zipoli's rarely heard opera San Ignacio and brings to life Sebastián Durón's comic zarzuela “Cupids' Final Folly.” It's a Spanish soap opera set to music!!!Saturday, November 10, 2007 8:00 pm Synod Hall


Click Here to read concert program and program notes


2005-2006 CONCERT SEASON


The Baltimore Consort
Folk Fest 1492
Three cultures combine and clash in a program of romances, villancicos (carols) & improvisations from tumultuous Spain in 1492.
Saturday, October 8, 2005 8:00pm Synod Hall


Click Here to read concert program and program notes

Click Here to see Q&A with Mary Anne Ballard



Rebel with the Deutsche Naturhorn Solisten
Music of the Royal Hunt
All the pagentry, color and excitement of the hunt - without the fox.
Saturday, November 11, 2005 8:00pm Synod Hall


Click Here to read concert program and program notes

Click Here to see Q&A with Rebel



Spiritus Collective
A 17th Century Christmastide
Celebrate Christmas with a celestial selection of holiday “classics” from the likes of Gabrieli, Schütz, and Praetorius.
Saturday, December 10, 2005 8:00pm Synod Hall


Click Here to read concert program and program notes



Red Priest
Pirates of the Baroque
Stolen masterworks and forgotten jewels of the baroque era performed with swashbuckling virtuosity by these British mates!
Saturday, January 21, 2006 8:00 Synod Hall


Click Here to read concert program and program notes

Click Here to see Q&A with cellist Angela East



Hesperus
The Robin Hood Project
Saturday, February 11, 2006 7:00 Byham Theatre

Hesperus provides the soundtrack to the 1922 silent film Robin Hood with music from the court of Henry VIII.

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Richard Egarr
Goldberg Variations
Saturday, March 4, 2006
8 PM, Synod Hall

Richard Egarr— harpsichord

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TRIO MEDIÆVAL
Songs of Praise and Honor
Saturday, March 25, 2006
8 PM, Synod Hall


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Doulce Mémoire
Paradis d'Amour


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2004-2005 CONCERT SEASON

Ex Umbris with Nell Snaidas and Karen Hansen
Meloncholie or, Downe in the Dumpes in Elizabethan England
Voice, renaissance flute, recorders, cittern, lute, guitar, violin, viola da gamba, tabor, bagpipe
Saturday, October 2, 2004 8:00pm Synod Hall


Before the blues, there was Melancholie. And like today's blues musicians, the Elizabethans sang about its causes: poverty, mortality, and love. Aristocrats and commoners alike found solace in sleep, drinking, witchcraft, and merry companions. You'll find solace in Ex Umbris' performance of songs and dumpes (dances) that will bring you out of the shadows.

Click here to read concert program and program notes.


The Flanders Recorder Quartet

Saturday, November 13, 2004 8:00pm Synod Hall


The Flanders Recorder Quartet plays homage to women. The scandalous, the virtuous, the smitten, and the pious. In masterworks by Obrecht, Josquin, Hildegard von Bingen, and Susato, the ensemble plays with precision and rhythm, flawless intonation, and a startling range of dynamics. The quartet performs on more than 100 recorders, from the ten-inch sopranino to the eight-foot sub-bass. This is not your child's plastic recorder!

Click here to read concert program and program notes.

American Baroque
L'Europe Galante
Flute, oboe, violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord
Saturday, January 29, 2005 8:00pm Synod Hall


Baroque in full bloom…A whirlwind tour of the most fashionable musical centers of Europe: Vivaldi’s Venice, Handel’s London, Couperin’s Paris, and Telemann’s Frankfurt and Berlin. American Baroque’s adventurous program combines 18th-century music with a new work commissioned by the group.

Click here to read concert program and program notes.


Lionheart
El Siglo d'Oro
Saturday, February 26, 2005  8:00 pm Synod Hall


Escape from wintry Pittsburgh to bask in the blazing sun of Renaissance Spain! Join Lionheart in El Siglo d’Oro (The Century of Gold)–sacred vocal works by 16th-century masters Victoria, Guerrero, and Cristobal Morales. Hear how the pop music of this time found its way into mass settings, motets, and Gregorian chant, performed by one of the premier vocal groups of our time. A golden opportunity, so agarre el día!

Click here to read concert program and program notes.


Mirie It Is
Fortune's Wheel
voices, vielles (bowed strings), and harps
Saturday, March 19,  2005 8:00 pm Synod Hall


Fortune's Wheel brings a springtime garden of earthly–and heavenly–delights from medieval England. The four virtuosic performers breathe life into the lyrical and reverent poetry of the 13th and 14th centuries. Simple songs of love and nature, despairing laments, and joyous celebrations of the Virgin Mary create an unforgettable evening of "joye and blisse!"

Click here to read concert program notes.


Handel in Rome
Ellen Hargis with Seattle Baroque
Ellen Hargis soprano, Ingrid Matthews & Janet Strauss violins, Margriet Tindemans viola da gamba, Lucas Harris lute, Byron Schenkman harpsichord
Saturday, April 16, 2005 8:00 pm Synod Hall


Hear how Handel conquered the Eternal City. This engaging program features the radiant voice of soprano Ellen Hargis in Handel’s cantatas and motets. The principals of Seattle Baroque perform instrumental pieces by famous friends, Romans, and countrymen: Corelli, Pasqualini, and Stradella. Lend them your ears!

Click here to read concert program, program notes and cast biographies.




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