It’s now just over a month to go until we return to St John’s Smith Square for what promises to be a thrilling melting pot of orchestral favourites. Biber’s brilliant Battalia sits side by side with concerto-form duelling by Handel, Wassenaer and Muffat.
Handel’s ravishing motet Silete Venti is a highlight of the concert. As each movement unfolds, we hear some of his
most skillful text-setting, combined with rich orchestral timbres, all derived from a relatively economical ensemble of oboes, bassoon, strings, and continuo. Although the work is just 30 minutes long, its framework is rather grand,
beginning with an impressive overture, followed by pairs of accompanied recitatives and arias—all deeply expressive and operatic in scale—and culminating in a florid and technically demanding ‘Alleluia’.
Handel Concerto Grosso in D Minor Op.6 no.10, HWV 328
Handel Motet Silete Venti, HWV 242
Wassenaer Concerto in F Minor from ‘Concerti Armonici’
Biber Battalia
Muffat Concerto No5 in G Major from ‘Armonico Tributo’
For tickets, head over to St John’s Smith Square website, spread the word via your social media of choice & let us know you’re coming in the comments below or @earlyopera
See you there!
