Tuesday, January 5
Sacramento Recorder Society
Regular meeting for recorder players, with guest conductor Jerry Schwartz. Newcomers welcome. Bring recorders, stand, and other early instruments. Music provided. Refreshments.
6:45–9:30 PM
Friends Meeting House
890 57th St., between H and J, Sacramento.
sacrecorders.wordpress.com
Wednesday, January 6
Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra
Regular meeting, for players of recorder, early winds or early strings. Bring your instrument(s) and music stand.
7:30–9:30 PM
Music Room number 060, J.L. Stanford Middle School
480 E. Meadow, Palo Alto
650-591-3648 or mpro-online.org
Thursday, January 7
Musica Pacifica
“Hijinks of the High Baroque: Composers Behaving Badly” Diving into the ultra-fashionable High Baroque scene of mid-18th-century Europe, Musica Pacifica explores two intriguing contretemps, one between harpsichordist/composers Rameau and Royer in Paris, and one between violinists Veracini and Pisendel in Dresden. Adopting the quirky and appealing music of these four as the core of our program, we’ve balanced it with music by the ultra-polite Quantz and Telemann. Come to the concert to hear stories of bad behavior and music of uncommon brilliance! Program includes a seldom-heard violin sonata by Pisendel, a virtuosic recorder sonata by Veracini, a flamboyant harpsichord suite by French composer, Royer, a haunting passacaille by Rameau, and an elegant trio sonata by Quantz, framed by two of Telemann’s fabulous Paris Quartets. Performers are Judith Linsenberg, recorder; Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin; David Morris, viola da gamba; and Katherine Heater, harpsichord.
12 noon.
UC Davis Concert Series
Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA
Free
Information: 510-444-4113
Friday, January 8
New Esterházy Quartet
Kati Kyme and Lisa Weiss, violins; Anthony Martin, viola; and William Skeen, violoncello; with special guest Stephen Schultz, flute, perform music by Johannes Spech, Franz Josef Haydn and Luigi Boccherini.
8 PM
Rhythmix Cultural Works
2513 Blanding Ave., Alameda
$25
Tickets online
[email protected] or 510-865-506
Sonoma Bach
“Giants of the High Baroque: Bach and Vivaldi” Live Oak Baroque Orchestra, Elizabeth Blumenstock Director, completes its four-year Vivaldi project with the Autumn concerto from Four Seasons featuring Elizabeth Blumenstock as the violin soloist; as well as her reconstruction of a lost Bach violin concerto, which survives in Bach’s hand only as an arrangement for harpsichord.
8 PM BachGrounder lecture/demonstration 35 minutes before concert
Schroeder Hall, Green Music Center
1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park
$25/$15
Tickets online
South Bay Recorder Society
Monthly meeting, guest conductor Shira Kammen. New members and guests welcome.
7:30–10 PM
First Congregational Church of San Jose
1980 Hamilton Ave (at Leigh), San Jose
408-358-0878 or [email protected]
Saturday, January 9
Musica Pacifica
“Hijinks of the High Baroque: Composers Behaving Badly” Diving into the ultra-fashionable High Baroque scene of mid-18th-century Europe, Musica Pacifica explores two intriguing contretemps, one between harpsichordist/composers Rameau and Royer in Paris, and one between violinists Veracini and Pisendel in Dresden. Adopting the quirky and appealing music of these four as the core of our program, we’ve balanced it with music by the ultra-polite Quantz and Telemann. Come to the concert to hear stories of bad behavior and music of uncommon brilliance! Program includes a seldom-heard violin sonata by Pisendel, a virtuosic recorder sonata by Veracini, a flamboyant harpsichord suite by French composer, Royer, a haunting passacaille by Rameau, and an elegant trio sonata by Quantz, framed by two of Telemann’s fabulous Paris Quartets. Performers are Judith Linsenberg, recorder; Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin; David Morris, viola da gamba; and Katherine Heater, harpsichord.
7:30 PM
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
1501 Washington St., Albany
Tickets online $30/$25/$12
Information: 510-444-4113
San Francisco Renaissance Voices, Katherine McKee, Director
Sixth Annual Boar’s Head Festival: A Celebration of Twelfth Night Join San Francisco Renaissance Voices for this 650 year old tradition celebrating Twelfth Night … Our sixth annual Boar’s Head Festival, delights audiences young and old alike, and is our most popular event of each and every season! This evening of feasting, libations, music and dramatic surprises takes place at the court of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth I with audience-favorites Phantom of the Opera’s soprano Susan Gundunas joining us once again as our Queen, the Celtic/Early Music band Broceliande will provide instrumental music for the evening with guest percussionist Geneva Harrison, and our dance troupe San Francisco Renaissance Dancers take the stage as well. During this year’s Festival the Bard himself, Master Will Shakespeare visits the court bringing with him a new play he has written for her majesty … and of course Shakespeare songs! Any attire you choose to wear for her majesty’s court is fine … however those of you who choose to come in period costume or masque will be especially welcomed! Those attending our San Francisco event will enjoy a pre-concert auction in support of San Francisco Renaissance Voices.
7:30 PM
Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church
1329 Seventh Avenue, San Francisco
$50/$45
Tickets online or 415-664-2543 x3
Viola da Gamba Society/Pacifica Chapter
Monthly viol consort playing with guest coach Shira Kammen. Players of all levels welcome. Newcomers please email ahead.
9 AM–3 PM
Hillside Church
1422 Navellier Street, El Cerrito
RSVP. Please email [email protected]
Sunday, January 10
Musica Pacifica
“Hijinks of the High Baroque: Composers Behaving Badly” Diving into the ultra-fashionable High Baroque scene of mid-18th-century Europe, Musica Pacifica explores two intriguing contretemps, one between harpsichordist/composers Rameau and Royer in Paris, and one between violinists Veracini and Pisendel in Dresden. Adopting the quirky and appealing music of these four as the core of our program, we’ve balanced it with music by the ultra-polite Quantz and Telemann. Come to the concert to hear stories of bad behavior and music of uncommon brilliance! Program includes a seldom-heard violin sonata by Pisendel, a virtuosic recorder sonata by Veracini, a flamboyant harpsichord suite by French composer, Royer, a haunting passacaille by Rameau, and an elegant trio sonata by Quantz, framed by two of Telemann’s fabulous Paris Quartets. Performers are Judith Linsenberg, recorder; Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin; David Morris, viola da gamba; and Katherine Heater, harpsichord.
4 PM
All Saints Episcopal Church
555 Waverley St, Palo Alto
Tickets online $30/$25/$12
Information: 510-444-4113
Peter Hallifax, Jeffrey, and Lynn Tetenbaum, violas da gamba
“The Lyra Viol Trios of William Lawes and Other Delights in Eights” King Charles 1 loved the viol and paid many great viol players to compose incredible music for his court. Maybe the greatest of those players was William Lawes, who together with John Coprario and Alfonso Ferrabosco formed the elite of the King’s “Private Musick.” Among other works, they all wrote spectacular fantasies for 3 “lyra” viols, that is, bass viols tuned in unusual ways. We have chosen the pieces that Lawes, Coprario, and Ferrabosco wrote in the tuning called “Eights,” an open tuning where the strings are all set to either F or C, giving the sound of the instruments an extra resonance. This concert reveals a very rare moment in the history of music for bowed strings, when the players’ considerable technical ability was matched by the richness of their invention.
4:30 PM
California Jazz Conservatory
2087 Addison St, Berkeley
$20
Buy Tickets online
Information: [email protected]
San Francisco Renaissance Voices, Katherine McKee, Director
Sixth Annual Boar’s Head Festival: A Celebration of Twelfth Night Join San Francisco Renaissance Voices for this 650 year old tradition celebrating Twelfth Night … Our sixth annual Boar’s Head Festival, delights audiences young and old alike, and is our most popular event of each and every season! This evening of feasting, libations, music and dramatic surprises takes place at the court of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth I with audience-favorites Phantom of the Opera’s soprano Susan Gundunas joining us once again as our Queen, the Celtic/Early Music band Broceliande will provide instrumental music for the evening with guest percussionist Geneva Harrison, and our dance troupe San Francisco Renaissance Dancers take the stage as well. During this year’s Festival the Bard himself, Master Will Shakespeare visits the court bringing with him a new play he has written for her majesty … and of course Shakespeare songs! Any attire you choose to wear for her majesty’s court is fine … however those of you who choose to come in period costume or masque will be especially welcomed! Those attending our San Francisco event will enjoy a pre-concert auction in support of San Francisco Renaissance Voices.
4 PM
St. Bede’s Episcopal Church
2650 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park
$50/$45
Tickets online or 415-664-2543 x3
Continue reading next week’s calendar . . .
