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.

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。

Johann Mattheson: Boris Goudenow (Theresia/Andrea Marchiol)

 Boris Goudenow (Godunov) by ..... Johann Mattheson (1681－1764) ??!!

「他Mattheson (媽太鬆)了，難怪教養那麼差！」

早Mussorgsky 150多年的《鮑利斯‧郭多諾夫》歌劇。(平時西方名還是習慣打英文，中譯名字實在對我太拗口了～～) 一邊聽音樂，一邊學地理歷史～～

Georg Caspar Schuermann: Opera music and cantatas.

Georg Caspar Schürmann (1672/73－1751) opera music and cantatas. 

"Hey, I might need a favor...."

"Schürmann (sure, man), anything for you!"

Tesori di Napoli

Tesori di Napoli (Treasure of Naples). The short-lived ambitious Opus 111 series that planned to showcased 300 years (1500-1800) of Neapolitan music.

250th death anniversary of Niccolò Jommelli

 250th death anniversary of Niccolò Jommelli (09.10.1714 – 08.25.1774).

「你現在一直跑來跑去，等一下Jommelli(就沒力)氣了。」

Concert: Handel's Partenope (SF Opera) (06/28/2024)

 

Handel's Partenope.

First time at the SF Opera (after having resided in the Bay Area for more than 20+ years). Wonderful SF opera debuts by Julie Fuchs and countertenors Carlo Vistoli and Nicholas Tamagna.

Not necessarily the best singing and playing (modern instruments and phrasing unavoidable unfortunate letdown, among all things), but most definitely the most entertaining and humorous performance of a Handel opera to date.

「要先安撫好他的情緒，不然還真Partenope(怕他鬧唄)！」

Opera Antiqua Obscura

Opera Antiqua Obscura

最近啃完的一些古樂歌劇。沒空每一齣細寫，僅附上短評。

Reinhard Keiser: Opera Arias and Instrumental Works (Elisabeth Scholl + La Ricordanza)

 Reinhard Keiser: Opera Arias and Instrumental Works.

「今天Keiser(開啥)酒來慶祝？」

Concert: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra - Dido and Aeneas (12/02/2023)

Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. John Butt returning to Berkeley to guest conduct PBO.

Concert: The English Concert - Handel: Rodelinda (11/19/2023)

 

The English Concert presents Handel's Rodelinda. Great way to head into Thanksgiving break.

「Rodelinda(我的琳達)人美心也美！」

Pietro Antonio Cesti. 400th birth anniversary. Part 4. Le disgrazie d'Amore.

Pietro Antonio Cesti (08.05.1623 - 10.14.1669) 400th birth anniversary. Part 4. Le disgrazie d'Amore. (Auser Musici/Carlo Ipata)

(最終回。本來只想寫一篇，結果拆開來寫，竟然前前後後就寫了一週之久)

Pietro Antonio Cesti. 400th birth anniversary. Part 3. La Dori.

Pietro Antonio Cesti (08.05.1623 - 10.14.1669) 400th birth anniversary. Part 3 La Dori. (Accademia Byzantina/Ottavio Dantone)

Has one of the most confusing and convoluted plots. Completely redeemed by Cesti's beautiful music.

Pietro Antonio Cesti. 400th birth anniversary. Part 2. L'Orontea.

Pietro Antonio Cesti (08.05.1623 - 10.14.1669) 400th birth anniversary. Part 2 L'Orontea. (Frankfurter Opern-und Museumorchester/Monteverdi-Continuo-Ensemble/Ivor Bolton)

Pietro Antonio Cesti. 400th birth anniversary. Part 1

Pietro Antonio Cesti (08.05.1623 - 10.14.1669) 400th birth anniversary. Part 1

「這次你考試排名還是那麼爛嗎？」

「Cesti( ㄘㄟˊ ~~ 是第一)名好不好！」

Antonio de Literes zarzuelas (Acis y Galatea/Júpiter y Semele/Los Elementos)(Al Ayre Español/Banzo)

 

Happy 350th birthday to Antonio de Literes (06.18.1673 - 01.18.1747).

Zarzuelas Acis y Galatea and Júpiter y Semele and hard-to-categorize Los Elementos, all brought to life by Eduardo Lopéz Banzo leading Al Ayre Español.

「真要這樣搞，Literes(你得累死)呀！」

Spanish Baroque Music Medley (Tonos Humanos/Samaniego/de Nebra)

Expanding music horizons with lesser known Spanish Baroque music.

Rameau and other French Baroque operas

 

Recent dose of French Baroque opera. 

Concert: Philharmonia Baroque - Handel's Amadigi di Gaula (04/22/2023)

 

PBO's special event. Handel's Amadigi di Gaula.

韓德爾「阿嬤的雞」