The Plimoth colonists, or “Pilgrims” as they were later called, were a diverse group of Separatists and Anglicans, religious zealots and irreverent opportunists, many of whom had lived in the Netherlands prior to their emigration. They brought with them music experiences as varied as their reasons for coming to the New World, and the Plimoth Colony heard not just solemn English psalms, but also catches, ballads, and dance tunes, to which we add instrumental music of the English court. We’ll… Find out more »

Let the Heavens Rejoice. Les Délices (Debra Nagy, artistic director) and Quire Cleveland (Ross Duffin, artistic director) join forces for an exciting program of French Baroque music. Violins, oboes, flutes, bassoon, chorus, and a thrilling team of rising-star vocal soloists join forces in resplendent, rarely-heard sacred works by Rameau and Mondonville. Les Délices regular (and director of Boston’s acclaimed vocal ensemble Blue Heron) Scott Metcalfe will serve as guest conductor and “lovely high tenor” Owen McIntosh returns to sing the modern premiere of Lefebvre’s Conserva me, a… Find out more »

One of the most gifted harpsichordists of our time explores two centuries of music from Italy, France, Germany, and Bohemia in this preview of his Carnegie Hall debut. Frescobaldi’s wild flights of invention made him one of the most celebrated Italian composers of the 17th century and influenced composers across the continent. A century later, the refined beauty of Rameau’s keyboard music represented the pinnacle of the French tradition. Bach drew from all traditions—the Italian and French styles—to create the… Find out more »

Boston Early Music Festival presents HANA BLAŽÍKOVÁ, soprano & BRUCE DICKEY, cornetto Breathtaking: A Cornetto and a Voice Entwined Perhaps no instrument has been more heralded over the centuries for replicating the luminous beauty of the human voice than the cornetto. Enjoy a “breathtaking” program of musical conversation between cornetto and voice featuring the world’s most renowned cornetto virtuoso Bruce Dickey and exquisite soprano Hana Blažíková. Joined by a star-studded ensemble, these exceptional performers present stunning masterpieces by Scarlatti, Merula,… Find out more »

Let the Heavens Rejoice. Les Délices (Debra Nagy, artistic director) and Quire Cleveland (Ross Duffin, artistic director) join forces for an exciting program of French Baroque music. Violins, oboes, flutes, bassoon, chorus, and a thrilling team of rising-star vocal soloists join forces in resplendent, rarely-heard sacred works by Rameau and Mondonville. Les Délices regular (and director of Boston’s acclaimed vocal ensemble Blue Heron) Scott Metcalfe will serve as guest conductor and “lovely high tenor” Owen McIntosh returns to sing the modern premiere of Lefebvre’s Conserva me, a… Find out more »

Rising MIT composer Elena Ruehr’s “Eve,” composed in 2014, takes its familiar text from Genesis, but rather than the traditional retelling, poses an honest question: was gaining knowledge of good and evil such a terrible thing? “In a sense,” the composer writes, “[Eve] is choosing light over darkness, sight over blindness. It’s an astonishing idea.” And, as those of you who heard CC’s performance of Ruehr’s Cassandra know, the powerful score is equally astonishing. Arvo Pärt’s “Adam’s Lament” is more… Find out more »

Seattle’s mistress of the fortepiano, Tamara Friedman, explores the rich repertoire of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s neo-Baroque pieces, rondos, variations, and sonatas, assisted by Classical flutist Courtney Westcott and operatic tenor Stephen Rumph in arias from Cosi fan tutte and The Magic Flute.                                                                      “A fitting fling to close… Find out more »