Early Music

Jordi Savall, the English Concert, the Tallis Scholars, Les Arts Florissants, and more!

Jordi Savall, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, and Hespèrion XXI

The Tears and the Fire of the Muses

Sat, Oct 12, 8pm, Zellerbach Hall

Berkeley audiences adore Jordi Savall for his limitless curiosity, supreme musicality, and remarkable gift of connecting people, places, and eras through fascinating repertoire. In his latest program, the musical polymath and virtuoso viol player traces the influence of Claudio Monteverdi—innovative composer, opera pioneer, and brilliant music theorist—through his sacred and secular works, as well as those of John Dowland, Anthony Holborne, Samuel Scheidt, and Giacomo de Gorzanis in England, Germany, and Italy. This season marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of Savall’s esteemed early-music ensemble Hespèrion XXI, joined here by the glorious vocalists of La Capella Reial de Catalunya.

Major Support: The Bernard Osher Foundation

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Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Julia Bullock, soprano

Sun, Jan 19, 3pm, Zellerbach Hall

For full listing, visit the Artist in Residence page.

Les Arts Florissants with

Théotime Langlois de Swarte, violin

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at 300

Wed, Mar 19, 7:30pm, Zellerbach Hall

The spirited young violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte is a transfixing performer, and watching him play, it is easy to imagine the fiery violin virtuoso Antonio Vivaldi holding court in a Baroque recital centuries ago. Vivaldi was a trailblazer in the new format of the violin concerto during his time, and is best remembered for his Opus 8 collection of concertos, The Four Seasons. Langlois de Swarte joins period instrument ensemble Les Arts Florissants in a concert honoring this enduring work in its 300th birthday year, alongside gems by Vivaldi’s peers and predecessors Monteverdi, Uccellini, and Geminiani.

Program to include: VIVALDI The Four Seasons Violin Concertos Op. 8, Nos. 1–4, and works by MONTEVERDI, UCCELLINI, and GEMINIANI

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The English Concert

Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto

Harry Bicket, conductor
Sun, Apr 27, 3pm, Zellerbach Hall

Christophe Dumaux, countertenor (Giulio Cesare)
Louise Alder, soprano (Cleopatra)
Paula Murrihy, mezzo-soprano (Sesto)
Beth Taylor, contralto (Cornelia)
John Holiday, countertenor (Tolomeo)
Meili Li, countertenor (Nireno)

Love, betrayal, family drama, and political intrigue— Handel’s blockbuster heroic opera recounts the historic meeting of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, through a series of unforgettable arias, vivid characterizations, and sumptuous orchestration. Dazzling British soprano Louise Alder sings the seductive central role of Cleopatra, opposite French countertenor Christophe Dumaux as her Caesar. It is hard to overstate the sublime

performances director Harry Bicket coaxes from his brilliant soloists and his truly stellar ensemble. "Handel’s genius shone throughout in the English Concert’s magnificent orchestra, which played as if inhabiting the spirit of Handel himself" (San Francisco Classical Voice).

Patron Sponsors: Beth DeAtley, Bernice Greene, Anonymous

An Illuminations: "Fractured History" event.

The Tallis Scholars

Palestrina 500

Peter Phillips, director
Fri, May 2, 8pm, First Congregational Church

A master of counterpoint and prolific composer of more than 105 masses and 250 motets, Palestrina is recognized as one of the most influential figures in all of music history. His sublimely spiritual works represent the loftiest peak of Italian polyphony. The incomparable Tallis Scholars celebrate Palestrina’s 500th birthday with a program that includes one of his lesser-known mass settings, two of his greatest motets, and works by his contemporary, Orlando di Lasso. The Tallis Scholars have sung Palestrina’s music more than that of any other composer, in the process winning a Gramophone Award for their now-classic Palestrina recording, "the standard against which other choirs must be measured in this repertoire" (Classics Today).

Patron Sponsors: Michael A. Harrison and Susan Graham Harrison

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The Tallis Scholars are paying homage to Palestrina on his 500th birthday. Palestrina is one of the most prolific composers of all time! Where did Palestrina live?

France
Germany
Italy
England
I have no idea!

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