Tuesday, February 5
Sacramento Recorder Society
Regular meeting for recorder players, with guest conductor Frances Feldon. 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, February 6
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan, Conductor, with Alana Youssefian, violin
“Classicism at the Crossroads” Come away to Vienna in the dawning decades of the 19th century, as late fruits of Classicism ripen alongside early blossoms of Romanticism. Beethoven is inspired to pen his only violin concerto, and young Franz Schubert is poised on the threshold of his supple mature style as Vienna verges towards full-flourishing Romanticism.
Please note: Scheduled violin soloist Rachel Barton Pine was forced to cancel her appearances with PBO while she recovers from an unscheduled medical procedure on her knee. Alana Youssefian will step in to perform Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin in D major (Op. 61) in place of the previously programmed Clement Concerto for Violin in D major. Other works on the program include Mozart, Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, and Schubert, Symphony No. 6 in C Major.
7:30 PM
First United Methodist Church
625 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto
$32–$120
Tickets online or 415-392-4400
Friday, February 8
SFEMS presents Cut Circle, Jesse Rodin, Director
Just in time for Valentine’s Day—our annual tribute to the heart this year reaches back to the 15th century. “To love another—would humiliate my heart,” sings the devoted lover in Johannes Ockeghem’s famous “D’ung aultre amer,” evoking the power of love to captivate, nourish, and, on occasion, destroy. Love can be earthly and sensual; it can also be spiritual and divine, as when a Biblical figure is cast as the object of desire. “To Love Another…” will feature music of both romantic and spiritual intensity.
Founded in 2003 by Rodin, Associate Professor at Stanford University, Cut Circle specializes in late medieval and Renaissance choral music. In 2010 the ensemble received the Noah Greenberg Award recognizing outstanding contributions to historical performance practices. Cut Circle has also received the Prix Olivier Messiaen, Editor’s Choice (Gramophone) and a Diapason d’Or for its recent recording of Du Fay masses. The ensemble’s current recording projects include a double album devoted to the complete songs of Ockeghem. Rodin prepares new editions of all the music Cut Circle performs. The ensemble, making their SFEMS series debut, aims to recapture the gritty, intense experience of singing early music. They commit to the music emotionally and physically, embracing confident singing, gripping contrasts, and energetic tempi. Read more . . .
Please note different days, times, and venues for these performances.
8 PM
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
General $45, Seniors $40.50, SFEMS Members $38.25, Students with ID $15
Buy tickets online or phone 510-528-1725
www.sfems.org
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan, Conductor, with Alana Youssefian, violin
“Classicism at the Crossroads” Come away to Vienna in the dawning decades of the 19th century, as late fruits of Classicism ripen alongside early blossoms of Romanticism. Beethoven is inspired to pen his only violin concerto, and young Franz Schubert is poised on the threshold of his supple mature style as Vienna verges towards full-flourishing Romanticism.
Please note: Scheduled violin soloist Rachel Barton Pine was forced to cancel her appearances with PBO while she recovers from an unscheduled medical procedure on her knee. Alana Youssefian will step in to perform Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin in D major (Op. 61) in place of the previously programmed Clement Concerto for Violin in D major. Other works on the program include Mozart, Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, and Schubert, Symphony No. 6 in C Major.
8 PM
Herbst Theatre
401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
$32–$120
Tickets online or 415-392-4400
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, February 9
SFEMS presents Cut Circle, Jesse Rodin, Director
Just in time for Valentine’s Day—our annual tribute to the heart this year reaches back to the 15th century. “To love another—would humiliate my heart,” sings the devoted lover in Johannes Ockeghem’s famous “D’ung aultre amer,” evoking the power of love to captivate, nourish, and, on occasion, destroy. Love can be earthly and sensual; it can also be spiritual and divine, as when a Biblical figure is cast as the object of desire. “To Love Another…” will feature music of both romantic and spiritual intensity.
Founded in 2003 by Rodin, Associate Professor at Stanford University, Cut Circle specializes in late medieval and Renaissance choral music. In 2010 the ensemble received the Noah Greenberg Award recognizing outstanding contributions to historical performance practices. Cut Circle has also received the Prix Olivier Messiaen, Editor’s Choice (Gramophone) and a Diapason d’Or for its recent recording of Du Fay masses. The ensemble’s current recording projects include a double album devoted to the complete songs of Ockeghem. Rodin prepares new editions of all the music Cut Circle performs. The ensemble, making their SFEMS series debut, aims to recapture the gritty, intense experience of singing early music. They commit to the music emotionally and physically, embracing confident singing, gripping contrasts, and energetic tempi. Read more . . .
Please note different days, times, and venues for these performances.
4 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
1111 O’Farrell St., San Francisco
General $45, Seniors $40.50, SFEMS Members $38.25, Students with ID $15
Buy tickets online or phone 510-528-1725
www.sfems.org
7 degrees Ensemble
Bodhi Tree Concerts North and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto present “Music of Al-Andalus, Islamic Spain 700–1400 A.D.” Come and experience this remarkable excursion into the music of Al-Andalus—Islamic Spain from the 8th through 15th centuries. This period was noted for an incredible diversity of cultures, religions, beliefs and customs, all of whom co-existed peacefully and thrived together for centuries. The members of 7 degrees Ensemble (formerly Trîada) Kurt Gramckow (oud), Claire MacKenzie (voice, daff), Ali Paris (qnn, voice), and Taryn Rosenquist (violin) see this as a hopeful model to be emulated and nurtured in these divisive times. They believe, as does Bodhi Tree Concerts North, that music is a powerful connector of peoples, and their mission is to introduce audiences to classical and traditional repertoire which reveals a common musical ancestry and kinship shared around the globe.
100% of profits from this concert will go to benefit Zawaya, a San Mateo based non-profit whose mission is to preserve, produce, and promote Arabic Arts in San Mateo County and the larger San Francisco Bay Area. Their vision is to achieve intercultural solidarity, respect, and understanding through the universal languages of music and the arts.
7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto
505 East Charleston Rd., Palo Alto,
$27
Tickets online
The Arts at St. Bede’s presents Vajra Voices, Karen Clark, Director
Vajra Voices – known for their “heartfelt elegance and spiritual fervor” (San Francisco Chronicle) – present a program of medieval and renaissance music created by and for women. Highlights of this journey into women’s song include music and poetry created by the 12th century mystic and abbess, Hildegard von Bingen; and span into the intricate 16th century polyphony attributed (recently) to Leonore d’Este. Featured on the program are solo monody, 2-part sequences, and 3-part polyphonic conductus found in the Codex Las Huelgas de Burgos (circa 1300). It is thought that the music in Las Huelgas (Northern Spain) was for performance by the 100 women who resided there. Vajra Voices’ artists are Phoebe Jevtovic, Allison Lloyd, Amy S. Hunn, Celeste Winant, and music director Karen Clark. A reception will follow the performance.
4 PM
St. Bede’s Episcopal Church
2650 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park
$15–$20
[email protected], 650-854-6456
Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra
“From Old to New/An in-depth study of medieval, Renaissance, baroque and modern music for recorders focusing on a representative selection from each period,” a workshop for intermediate to advanced recorder players, directed by Frances Blaker. The recorder has one of the most extensive repertoires of any instrument played today, going back to at least the late 13th century, and probably earlier, all the way up to the present day with only a 150-year gap from around 1750 to 1900 when the instrument lay dormant. Each period has its own musical style, aesthetics, compositional procedures, melodic and harmonic progressions as well as tuning systems; and each is under the broad influence of very different philosophies: scholasticism, humanism, the Enlightenment and the multiplicity of philosophies that have influenced our thinking over the past one hundred years or so. In order for recorder players to competently manage such a diverse body of music means that they must have at least a general idea of what distinguishes one period from another and how that translates into their playing. That will be the goal of this workshop. The large historical span will bring great variety to the workshop’s repertory, which will range from vocal to instrumental forms, from modes and counterpoint to tonal harmony and beyond. Some pieces will be easy to play, yet always absorbing and interesting, while others will be more challenging. Hildegard von Bingen, Ciconia, Josquin, Parsons, and Handel are some of the composers featured.
9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Chapel at Grace Lutheran Church
3149 Waverley St., Palo Alto
MPRO, SFEMS and ARS members, $55; non-members, $60
Please plan on bringing a music stand and a lunch. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Advanced registration is encouraged as space is limited.
For further information or to register for the workshop please visit http://mpro-online.org/ or contact Chantal Moser at 408-972-4998.
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan, Conductor, with Alana Youssefian, violin
“Classicism at the Crossroads” Come away to Vienna in the dawning decades of the 19th century, as late fruits of Classicism ripen alongside early blossoms of Romanticism. Beethoven is inspired to pen his only violin concerto, and young Franz Schubert is poised on the threshold of his supple mature style as Vienna verges towards full-flourishing Romanticism.
Please note: Scheduled violin soloist Rachel Barton Pine was forced to cancel her appearances with PBO while she recovers from an unscheduled medical procedure on her knee. Alana Youssefian will step in to perform Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin in D major (Op. 61) in place of the previously programmed Clement Concerto for Violin in D major. Other works on the program include Mozart, Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, and Schubert, Symphony No. 6 in C Major.
8 PM
First Congregational Church
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley
$32–$120
Tickets online or 415-392-4400
San Francisco Renaissance Voices
“A Prelude to Valentine’s Day with mezzo-soprano Leandra Ramm” Mezzo-soprano Leandra Ramm mesmerized audiences as Animae (The Soul) in SFRV’s performances last year of Hildegard’s Ordo Virtutum with her lustrous voice and incredible stage presence, and most recently she knocked the socks off her audiences and received rave reviews for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Theatre Rhinoceros’ production of The Boy from Oz. Her career spans Broadway to the San Francisco Symphony and beyond. Mezzo-soprano Leandra Ramm will delight you with a program about the songs of love with music from the Baroque to Broadway and will be joined by accompanist Eugene Petrushansky. As Shakespeare said, Music is the food of love, so play on – and join us for this, our annual free concert as a Prelude to Valentine’s Day! (PLEASE NOTE: This event is free but reservations are requested because seating is limited. Those with reservations will be given seating priority. To make your free reservation just use the “Buy Tickets” link below)
7:30 PM
St. Clement’s Episcopal Church
2837 Claremont Blvd., Berkeley
Buy Tickets
[email protected], 415-650-6258
Santa Cruz Baroque Festival presents John Schneiderman, baroque lute
The Festival’s 46th Season opens with “The King of Instruments in the Age of Bach.” Regarded as the noble instrument of Kings and Queens, the lute, a plucked stringed instrument, rose from its medieval and Renaissance roots to its greatest development and appreciation during the High Baroque in Germany. Silvius Leopold Weiss, J.S. Bach’s contemporary and friend, had command over all other lutenists and lute composers. Our opening offers seductions and guilty pleasures for 13-course High Baroque lute by Bach, Weiss, Adam Falckenhagen and Johann Kropfgans.
7:30 PM
UC Santa Cruz Recital Hall
1156 High St., Santa Cruz
$25/$22/$10
Tickets online, 831-457-9693, or www.scbaroque.org
Viola da Gamba Society/Pacifica Chapter
Monthly viol consort playing with guest coach Amy Brodo. Players of all levels welcome. Newcomers please phone ahead.
9 AM–3 PM
Hillside Church
1422 Navellier Street, El Cerrito
RSVP. Please email or phone ahead.
[email protected]
Sunday, February 10
SFEMS presents Cut Circle, Jesse Rodin, Director
Just in time for Valentine’s Day—our annual tribute to the heart this year reaches back to the 15th century. “To love another—would humiliate my heart,” sings the devoted lover in Johannes Ockeghem’s famous “D’ung aultre amer,” evoking the power of love to captivate, nourish, and, on occasion, destroy. Love can be earthly and sensual; it can also be spiritual and divine, as when a Biblical figure is cast as the object of desire. “To Love Another…” will feature music of both romantic and spiritual intensity.
Founded in 2003 by Rodin, Associate Professor at Stanford University, Cut Circle specializes in late medieval and Renaissance choral music. In 2010 the ensemble received the Noah Greenberg Award recognizing outstanding contributions to historical performance practices. Cut Circle has also received the Prix Olivier Messiaen, Editor’s Choice (Gramophone) and a Diapason d’Or for its recent recording of Du Fay masses. The ensemble’s current recording projects include a double album devoted to the complete songs of Ockeghem. Rodin prepares new editions of all the music Cut Circle performs. The ensemble, making their SFEMS series debut, aims to recapture the gritty, intense experience of singing early music. They commit to the music emotionally and physically, embracing confident singing, gripping contrasts, and energetic tempi. Read more . . .
Please note different days, times, and venues for these performances.
2:30 PM
Bing Concert Hall
327 Lasuen St., Stanford
General $45, Seniors $40.50, SFEMS Members $38.25, Students with ID $15
Tickets to this performance available only through Stanford Box Office https://live.stanford.edu/calendar/february-2019/cut-circle 650-724-2464, [email protected]
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan, Conductor, with Alana Youssefian, violin
“Classicism at the Crossroads” Come away to Vienna in the dawning decades of the 19th century, as late fruits of Classicism ripen alongside early blossoms of Romanticism. Beethoven is inspired to pen his only violin concerto, and young Franz Schubert is poised on the threshold of his supple mature style as Vienna verges towards full-flourishing Romanticism.
Please note: Scheduled violin soloist Rachel Barton Pine was forced to cancel her appearances with PBO while she recovers from an unscheduled medical procedure on her knee. Alana Youssefian will step in to perform Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin in D major (Op. 61) in place of the previously programmed Clement Concerto for Violin in D major. Other works on the program include Mozart, Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, and Schubert, Symphony No. 6 in C Major.
4 PM
First Congregational Church
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley
$32–$120
Tickets online or 415-392-4400
Faythe Vollrath, harpsichord
Faythe Vollrath performs an exciting concert of new repertoire for solo harpsichord. Program includes Emma Lou Diemer, Toccata; Vladimir Tošić, Spinal Toru Takemitsu, Rain Dreaming; Lou Harrison, Sonata for Harpsichord; Jan Pietersoon Sweelinck and Elinor Armer, Variations on “Mein junges Leben hat ein End;” and Sunny Knable Keeping Faythe. Faythe Vollrath, hailed by the Wall Street Journal for her “subtly varied tempo and rhythm that sounds like breathing,” proposes an exciting concert of new repertoire for solo harpsichord. Viewed primarily as a baroque instrument, the harpsichord also occupies an important niche in compositions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Whether invoking rain in works by Toru Takemitsu, exotic sounds in Lou Harrison’s Sonata for Harpsichord, or wild dancing in a piece by Sunny Knable, this is an experience you won’t want to miss!
8 PM
Old First Concerts
1751 Sacramento St., San Francisco
$25/$20/$5 Kids under 12: FREE
$2 discount when purchased online!
Tickets online or 415-474-1608
Continue reading next week’s calendar . . .
