Carl Maria von Weber : Der Freischütz (Keilberth/Kleiber/Jacobs)

Carl Maria von Weber (11.18.1786 – 06.05.1826) 200th death anniversary.  
Random musings and Der Freischütz (Keilberth/Kleiber/Jacobs)

Joseph Anton Steffan. 300th birth anniversary. Keyboard concertos and solo keyboard works.

Joseph Anton Steffan (Josef Antonín Štěpán) (c.03.1726 – c.04.1797) 300th birth anniversary. Solo keyboard works and keyboard concertos.  

Johann Bernhard Bach 350th Birth Anniversary. Orchestral Suites and Keyboard Music.

 

Happy Birthday Bach ! No, not that famous one, but his cousin. 

Johann Bernhard Bach (05.23.1676 – 06.11.1749) 350th birth anniversary. Orchestral Suites and Keyboard Music. 

Francesco Antonio Pistocchi 300th death anniversary. Vocal works.

Francesco Antonio Mamiliano Pistocchi (1659 – 05.13.1726) 300th death anniversary. Vocal Works. 

Concert: Jean-Yves Thibaudet (05/10/2026)

Jean-Yves Thibaudet Stanford Bing Concert Hall debut. An afternoon of all-Debussy program.

Concert: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra + Shunske Sato - Kinks and Quirks (04/24/2026)

Shunske Sato returned to the Bay Area again, this time guest conducting Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO), providing a scintillating and electrifying evening.

Concert: Jordi Savall + Hespèrion XXI + La Capella Reial de Catalunya - Songs, Battles, and Dances from the Old and the New World (04/21/2026)

The OG early music superstar. Jordi Savall returns once again to Berkeley with Hesperion XXI with a fascinating program, juxtaposing African spirituals, instrumental pieces, and other vocal pieces. At 84, he's showing the audience that he's still got it all.

Concert: Voices of Music - The Secret Garden (04/17/2026)

Another fascinating program and concert from Voices of Music's Hanneke van Proosdij and David Tayler! From very early music to contemporary premiere !

Concert: Quatuor Ebene (04/16/2026)

A wonderful evening of music making by Quatuor Ébène

Concert: Quatuor Danel (04/13/2026)

Quatuor Danel finally returns to the Bay Area after originally scheduled to play 6 years ago (courtesy of COVID, naturally).

Joseph Michel: Lecons de tenebres (Le Concert Spirituel / Hervé Niquet)

Music for Holy Week 2026. Joseph Michel (1688-1736)'s Lecons de tenebres, the last of its kind to be published in the first half of 18th century. Hard to find and limited release by Le Concert Spirituel / Hervé Niquet.

受難曲不只有J.S. Bach，復活節神劇不只有Handel，Leçons de ténèbres不只有F. Couperin，Stabat Mater不只有Pergolesi 😂

Concert: Bomsori Kim (04/01/2026)

Stanford Live presents Bomsori Kim.

Minkus: Don Quixote (Sofia National Opera Orchestra / Boris Spassov)

Ballet Music for Marius Petipa's Don Quixote, (mostly) by Ludwig Minkus. Sofia National Opera Orchestra / Boris Spassov.

前幾天是奧地利出生，後移居並在俄國打出名聲的芭蕾舞樂作曲家Ludwig (Léon) Minkus (03.23.1826 – 12.07.1917)的兩百年誕辰。一如往常，絕對可以保證龔詩堯兄有詳細介紹生平的格文。

恰巧又看到灣區這邊，同是美國歷史最悠久的芭蕾舞團SF Ballet現在正在表演Minkus所配樂的芭蕾舞，讓我不禁想到大學的一段回憶。

Concert: Theotime Langlois de Swarte (03/22/2026)

Théotime Langlois de Swarte returns to Berkeley with an afternoon of solo violin concert.

Concert: Concerto Koln + Shunske Sato + Max Volbers (03/14/2026)

SFEMS presents Concerto Köln. Shunske Sato & Max Volbers. Attending Concerto Köln concert again after 14 years. Finally seeing Shunske Sato live for the first time. Last but not least, the brilliant young recorder/harpsichord player Max Volbers.

Concert: Philharmonia Baroque - Pearls of Sorrow (03/13/2026)

Pearls of Sorrow. Philharmonia Baroque concert featuring guest conductor Christine Brandes and countertenor Reginald Mobley with an interesting program of mainly German mid-Baroque sacred music and African-American spirituals. An evening of beautiful singing by Mobley.

Concert: Voices of Music + Danielle Reutter-Harrah - Valentine's Day Concerts 2026 Music of England & Italy (02/13/2026)

Voices of Music Concert. Valentine's Day Concerts 2026. Music of England & Italy. 

Another fantastic concert by Voices of Music. Wonderful program, amazing singing from Danielle Reutter-Harrah, and feisty playing from Elizabeth Blumenstock and Augusta McKay Lodge, as always!

Concert: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra - Baroque Garlands (02/08/2026)

 

Super Baroque Sunday!  

Emeritus conductor McGegan is back conducting the Philharmonia Baroque. Handel's Dixit Dominus, one of my favorite sacred Baroque pieces, and much lesser-known Rameau's La Guirlande. 

Giacomo Facco 350th Birth Anniversary. Pensieri Adriarmonici. Amor es todo imbención: Júpiter y Amphitrión.

Giacomo Facco (02.04.1676 – 02.16.1753) 350th birth anniversary. 

Pensieri Adriarmonici. 

Amor es todo imbención: Júpiter y Amphitrión.

Concert: Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Riccardo Muti (01/17/2026)

Muti guest conducts Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hearing CSO live after more than 20+ years. 

Francesco Cavalli 350th death anniversary. Life. Sacred Music. Operas

Francesco Cavalli (02.14.1602 – 01.14.1676) 350th death anniversary. 

早至中期巴洛克時期重要的作曲家裡，另一位我先前接觸比較少的是Francesco Cavalli。長期以來，只知道他是銜接早期Monteverdi與巴洛克晚期歌劇的重要橋梁，寫有至少40幾齣歌劇。之前有個已倒閉的德國廠牌Cavalli Records，錄製了不少小眾的古樂專輯，就是根據他而命名的。

大量接觸聲樂之後，我開始慢慢拉近與Cavalli的距離。除了入手幾齣他的歌劇全曲錄音之外，還有幾張他比較被忽略的宗教音樂專輯。因此今年他逝世的350週年，簡單介紹一下他的生平與手上的一些專輯。