Concert: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra - Handel’s Tolomeo (07/24/2026)

 

PBO's special event. Handel's Tolomeo. Peter Whelan's first official concert with PBO as new director. 

「整件事情的內幕，他向你Tolomeo(透露了沒有)？」

Music of Stephen Foster and Charles Ives

Trifecta of musical celebration for 2026 Fourth of July:

1. Stephen Foster (07.04.1826 – 01.13.1864) 200th birth anniversary. He was really born on Fourth of July ! His music was highly revered and heavily referenced by
2. Charles Ives (1874 – 1954), one of the truly original and revolutionary modern American composers. Orchestral works and songs conducted by 
3. Michael Tilson Thomas (12.21.1944 – 04.22.2026) who passed away earlier this year. 

Michel-Richard Delalande 300th death anniversary.

Michel-Richard Delalande [de Lalande] (12.15.1657 – 06.18.1726) 300th death anniversary. Grand motets, music for the king's supper, and occasional music. 

「他們這些人真的是Delalande(都來亂的)！」

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。