Monday, February 23
American Bach Soloists
Derek Chester gives a master class, coaching young singers in baroque repertory and interpretation. Works and performers TBA
7:30 PM
Sol Joseph Recital Hall, San Francisco Conservatory of Music
50 Oak St., San Francisco.
Free and open to the public, no tickets required
415-621-7900
Thursday, February 26
Stanford University Music Department
Francesco Durante’s Stabat Mater. The Department of Music presents a concert featuring the music of Francesco Durante (1684–1755). Despite living in Naples, a city consumed by opera, this prolific composer devoted his life to sacred music. Featured in this lenten concert is his Stabat Mater. Previously thought to be incomplete and thus unperformable, the primary source is held in Stanford Green Library’s Special Collection and has been prepared by students Daniel Gonzalez and Ethan Williams with Dr. Marie-Louise Catsalis as part of the course Editing and Performing Early Music. Voice students from this course, Alaina Brown, Danielle Smith and Shu Chen Ong will perform the solo roles and join forces with the Philharmonia Baroque Chorale conducted by Bruce Lamott for this modern premiere, co-sponsored by Stanford Live. This program made possible with generous support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson Fund.
7:30 PM
Memorial Church
450 Serra Mall, Stanford University
Free admission
[email protected], 650-776-0635
Friday, February 27
American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey Thomas, Conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach, St. Matthew Passion. With soloists Wesley Rogers, tenor (Evangelista); William Sharp, baritone (Christus); Hélène Brunet (debut) and Clara Rottsolk, sopranos; Agnes Vojtko, mezzo-soprano (debut); Jay Carter countertenor; Charles Blandy and Derek Chester tenors; Thomas Meglioranza and Joshua Copeland, baritones.
7:30 PM
St. Stephen’s Church
3 Bay View Ave., Belvedere
$27–$66
Tickets, 415-621-7900, [email protected]
California Bach Society, Paul Flight, Conductor
“The Early Cantatas: Works from the Young J.S. Bach” Bach’s earliest cantatas, composed at Arnstadt and Mühlhausen, are modeled upon those of his older contemporaries, notably Johann Pachelbel and Dietrich Buxtehude. Last season California Bach Society featured Pachelbel’s chorale cantata on Christ lag in Todesbanden; this season we present Bach’s more familiar and beloved chorale cantata of the same name. We will also perform Aus der Tiefen ruf’ ich, Herr, zu dir, a penitential cantata that skillfully juxtaposes verses of Psalm 130 with the verses of a Lutheran chorale. We finish with Bach’s earliest surviving cantata, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, composed during his brief time at Arnstadt. Bach composed choral fugues with richly imitative counterpoint for the chorus in four of the seven movements. Read more . . .
8 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
1111 O’ Farrell St. (at Franklin), San Francisco
Advance purchase tickets are $25 general admission; $18 seniors; $10 students and under 30. Tickets purchased at the door are $30, $22 and $10, respectively. SFEMS members receive a $5 discount when using promotion code “SFEMS” at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl. Tickets can be purchased in advance by phone at 650-485-1097 or online at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl. The deadline for advance sales is 5 PM on Thursday, February 26. For information, phone 650-485-1097, visit www.calbach.org, or email [email protected].
Saturday, February 28
American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey Thomas, Conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach, St. Matthew Passion. With soloists Wesley Rogers, tenor (Evangelista); William Sharp, baritone (Christus); Hélène Brunet (debut) and Clara Rottsolk, sopranos; Agnes Vojtko, mezzo-soprano (debut); Jay Carter countertenor; Charles Blandy and Derek Chester tenors; Thomas Meglioranza and Joshua Copeland, baritones.
7:30 PM
First Congregational Church
2345 Channing Way (entrance on Dana near Durant), Berkeley
$27–$66
Tickets, 415-621-7900, [email protected]
California Bach Society, Paul Flight, Conductor
“The Early Cantatas: Works from the Young J.S. Bach” Bach’s earliest cantatas, composed at Arnstadt and Mühlhausen, are modeled upon those of his older contemporaries, notably Johann Pachelbel and Dietrich Buxtehude. Last season California Bach Society featured Pachelbel’s chorale cantata on Christ lag in Todesbanden; this season we present Bach’s more familiar and beloved chorale cantata of the same name. We will also perform Aus der Tiefen ruf’ ich, Herr, zu dir, a penitential cantata that skillfully juxtaposes verses of Psalm 130 with the verses of a Lutheran chorale. We finish with Bach’s earliest surviving cantata, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, composed during his brief time at Arnstadt. Bach composed choral fugues with richly imitative counterpoint for the chorus in four of the seven movements. Read more . . .
8 PM
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
555 Waverley (at Hamilton), Palo Alto
Advance purchase tickets are $25 general admission; $18 seniors; $10 students and under 30. Tickets purchased at the door are $30, $22 and $10, respectively. SFEMS members receive a $5 discount when using promotion code “SFEMS” at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl. Tickets can be purchased in advance by phone at 650-485-1097 or online at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl. The deadline for advance sales is 5 PM on Thursday, February 26. For information, phone 650-485-1097, visit www.calbach.org, or email [email protected].
Janine Johnson, fortepiano
A program of music from mid-to-late 18th-century France, the intriguing transitional period between the baroque and Classical eras, and a period of rivalry between the harpsichord and piano. While late French harpsichord music often is maligned, it is musically exciting, with rapidly changing styles, and composers clearly having fun. This was the period of Mozart’s childhood, and one can hear precursors to his compositions in many of these works, as well as pieces clinging to the grand French harpsichord tradition, often in the same book of music by the same composer. This is NOT decadent music, though occasionally it can be silly and witty, but there is much more depth and beauty here than we are often led to be believe by those who dismiss this music out of hand. Featured composers will include works of Mr. Dufour, Armand-Louis Couperin, Claude-Bénigne Balbastre, L’Abbé Gravie, J. Feyzeau, Jacques Duphly, Johann Schobert, and Charles Noblet. This program will be performed on an antique “square” Clementi piano. This piano, though late, is very close in character to the instruments the French would have had during this period (Gottfried Silbermann built Cristofori inspired instruments and exported them to France at this time, which were quickly followed by a flood of squares from England, grands built by the French harpsichord makers, etc). A companion program (same composers but different pieces) was performed last weekend on harpsichord.
10:30 AM
House concert at residence in Berkeley. Please RSVP by email (as there are a limited number of seats) for address and directions.
Suggested donation $15 Coffee, tea, and treats. CDs also for sale.
[email protected]
Sunday, March 1
American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey Thomas, Conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach, St. Matthew Passion. With soloists Wesley Rogers, tenor (Evangelista); William Sharp, baritone (Christus); Hélène Brunet (debut) and Clara Rottsolk, sopranos; Agnes Vojtko, mezzo-soprano (debut); Jay Carter countertenor; Charles Blandy and Derek Chester tenors; Thomas Meglioranza and Joshua Copeland, baritones.
4 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
1111 O’Farrell St., San Francisco
$27–$66
Tickets, 415-621-7900, [email protected]
California Bach Society, Paul Flight, Conductor
“The Early Cantatas: Works from the Young J.S. Bach” Bach’s earliest cantatas, composed at Arnstadt and Mühlhausen, are modeled upon those of his older contemporaries, notably Johann Pachelbel and Dietrich Buxtehude. Last season California Bach Society featured Pachelbel’s chorale cantata on Christ lag in Todesbanden; this season we present Bach’s more familiar and beloved chorale cantata of the same name. We will also perform Aus der Tiefen ruf’ ich, Herr, zu dir, a penitential cantata that skillfully juxtaposes verses of Psalm 130 with the verses of a Lutheran chorale. We finish with Bach’s earliest surviving cantata, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, composed during his brief time at Arnstadt. Bach composed choral fugues with richly imitative counterpoint for the chorus in four of the seven movements. Read more . . .
4 PM
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
2300 Bancroft Way (at Ellsworth), Berkeley.
Advance purchase tickets are $25 general admission; $18 seniors; $10 students and under 30. Tickets purchased at the door are $30, $22 and $10, respectively. SFEMS members receive a $5 discount when using promotion code “SFEMS” at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl. Tickets can be purchased in advance by phone at 650-485-1097 or online at www.calbach.org/tickets.pl. The deadline for advance sales is 5 PM on Thursday, February 26. For information, phone 650-485-1097, visit www.calbach.org, or email [email protected].
Clerestory
“Love and the Knight” The a cappella men’s ensemble Clerestory celebrates Valentine’s Day with a musical homage to the medieval King Charlemagne. The concert features music from the earliest days of European cathedrals to the High Renaissance masters who followed, including Gregorian and Ambrosian chant, the mysticism of Hildegard von Bingen, the love songs of the French troubadours, and the woven polyphony of the Flemish masters. Let courtly love and gallant songs transport you back in time. The concert will run just over an hour with no intermission.
4 PM
St. Clare’s Episcopal Church
3350 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton
Freewill offering will be collected.
[email protected], 925-462-4802
www.clerestory.org
Janine Johnson, fortepiano
A program of music from mid-to-late 18th-century France, the intriguing transitional period between the baroque and Classical eras, and a period of rivalry between the harpsichord and piano. While late French harpsichord music often is maligned, it is musically exciting, with rapidly changing styles, and composers clearly having fun. This was the period of Mozart’s childhood, and one can hear precursors to his compositions in many of these works, as well as pieces clinging to the grand French harpsichord tradition, often in the same book of music by the same composer. This is NOT decadent music, though occasionally it can be silly and witty, but there is much more depth and beauty here than we are often led to be believe by those who dismiss this music out of hand. Featured composers will include works of Mr. Dufour, Armand-Louis Couperin, Claude-Bénigne Balbastre, L’Abbé Gravie, J. Feyzeau, Jacques Duphly, Johann Schobert, and Charles Noblet. This program will be performed on an antique “square” Clementi piano. This piano, though late, is very close in character to the instruments the French would have had during this period (Gottfried Silbermann built Cristofori inspired instruments and exported them to France at this time, which were quickly followed by a flood of squares from England, grands built by the French harpsichord makers, etc). A companion program (same composers but different pieces) was performed last weekend on harpsichord.
2 PM
House concert at residence in Berkeley. Please RSVP by email (as there are a limited number of seats) for address and directions.
Suggested donation $15 Wine, cheese, etc. CDs also for sale.
[email protected]
MusicSources
“Passión, alma y vida” Harpsichordist Egon Mihajlovic, a native of Montenegro, is celebrated as a soloist, conductor and pedagogue. His brio, virtuosity and musicianship will captivate our audience in performances of sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.
7 PM Note time change.
St. Mary Magdalen Church
2005 Berryman Street, Berkeley
$30 non members, $25 MusicSources members and seniors, $10 students 18 yrs. or younger
510-528-1685 or
[email protected]
Continue reading next week’s calendar . . .
