Tuesday, August 16
Leipzig Cantata Project
The Leipzig Cantata Project aims to build new audiences for Bach cantata performances by presenting full Bach cantatas with full period instrument orchestra with wine, snacks, and an engaging guest speaker who can give historical/liturgical/spiritual context to bring this text alive for anyone, regardless of religious beliefs. The result is a multisensory, inspirational, emotionally fulfilling performance. This concert features three full Bach cantatas with fabulous trumpet parts, BWV 5, 43, and 90Featured performers John Thiessen, trumpet; Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin; and Steve Hammer, oboe, are joined by Katherine Heater, harpsichord; Clio Tilton, viola; Ben Kazez, baritone; Lindsey Lang, mezzo soprano; Jennifer Paulino, soprano; Holly Piccoli, violin; Frédéric Rosselet, cello; and Kyle Stegall, tenor.
8 PM
Calvary Presbyterian Church
2515 Fillmore St. (at Jackson), San Francisco
Tickets online $20–$75 (all tickets include German wine from WineWise and German snacks from Gaumenkitzel)
For more information, visit http://www.benkazez.com/leipzig.
Thursday, August 18
Dominic Schaner, lutes and vihuela
Dominic Schaner presents a lecture/recital at the Sonoma County Museum in conjunction with the exhibit “Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar…” The lecture will explore the history and music of the lute outlined by the recital for which he will perform shorts sets on 8-course lute, vihuela, 14-course archlute, and 15-course theorbo. CDs, a collection of manuscripts and printed tablatures for viewing, a small selection of rare 20th-c. manuscripts (scores and graphic notation) for guitar and lute, and my instruments by Cezar Mateus and Andreas von Holst will be on display and for sale.
6:30 PM
History Museum of Sonoma County
425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa
$10/$15
Tickets online
https://www.facebook.com/events/1787100218189026/
Saturday, August 20
California Bach Society, Paul Flight, Director
California Bach Society presents its 11th annual choral workshop, “St. Matthew Passion Preview.” Paul Flight will discuss and rehearse choruses and chorales of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Included will be the opening and closing choruses of Parts 1 and 2: Kommt ihr Töchter, O Mensch bewein, Ach nun ist mein Jesus hin, Nun ist der Herr, Wir setzen uns (BWV 1, 35, 36, 77, 78 or NBA 1, 29, 30, 67, 68), plus selected chorales, the recitative and aria for tenor and chorus, and an outburst from the crowd (BWV 3, 25, 26, 31, 54, 55, 63 or NBA 3, 19, 20, 25, 45b, 46, 54). Scores will be provided for all music, and electronic copies are available for download at http://calbach.org/workshop.html. Come sing with members of the California Bach Society. Immerse yourself in the St. Matthew Passion in preparation for our performances on October 7–9.
10:30 AM–3:30 PM
Palo Alto venue (address available upon registration)
$55 fee includes music and lunch.
Register by August 15.
Registration information at http://calbach.org/workshop.html.
L’Esprit Baroque
Elysha Massatt, soprano; Sarah Vay Kerns, flute; Sylvia Schwartz, violin; John Ott, cello and viola da gamba; Heriberto Ramos, cello; and Janice Massatt, harpsichord, perform a program of baroque vocal and instrumental music. Elysha will sing two cantatas, Handel’s Lucrezia, and Clérambault’s Orphée. George Frideric Handel wrote his dramatic cantata Lucrezia when he was visiting Florence during his early composing years, and it is some of his finest writing. This will be followed by a moody sonata by Jean Barrière featuring John Ott’s baroque cello, accompanied by Los Angeles cellist Heriberto Ramos, and an exquisite sonata by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer featuring Sylvia Schwartz, come all the way from Boston to delight us with her baroque violin. For the French section of the program, we have a suite by Jacques-Martin Hotteterre featuring Sarah Vay Kerns on her beautiful antique Potter flute, and for the finale, the charming French cantata Orphée by Louis-Nicolas Clérambault, the quintessential composer of French cantatas, for soprano, violin, and flute, with John Ott playing viola da gamba. Janice Massatt provides a strong harpsichord continuo throughout.
5 PM
University Lutheran Chapel
2425 College Ave., Berkeley
No advance tickets
$15–$20 suggested donation to defray the traveling expenses of musicians.
Sunday, August 21
Old First Concerts
Gaude (Caitlin Tabancay Austin, soprano; Elizabeth Kimble, soprano; Danielle Sampson, mezzo-soprano; Gabriela Estephanie Solis, alto; Samuel Faustine, tenor; Michael Desnoyers, tenor; Matthew Peterson, baritone; Clayton Moser, bass) is a professional, a cappella octet based in San Francisco. Directed by Jace Wittig (former Interim Director of the Grammy Award-winning ensemble, Chanticleer), Gaude presents an a cappella meditation on peace and salvation, featuring Renaissance masterpieces by Josquin Des Prez, Carlo Gesualdo, Guillaume Dufay, and Tomás Luis de Victoria paired with the dynamic, modern voices of Jaakko Mäntyjärvi and Arvo Pärt, among others. Gaude seeks to engage the concert-going public, new listeners, and student musicians alike through unique programming and joyfully artistic performances. More information is available at gaudesf.com.
4 PM
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento St., San Francisco
Tickets online $18/$15/$5
