Old meets new: 17th-century music is paired with the world premiere of Italian Soundscapes by Guido Morini
Toronto, September 24, 2019… Following its opening concerts of the season devoted to music by Romantic composers, Tafelmusik returns to its Baroque Roots, October 16 to 20 at Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. Baroque Roots offers a snapshot of the Italian influences on the music of 17th-century Vienna, when cutting-edge baroque sounds were breaking like waves over Europe. In keeping with this season’s theme of “Old meets New,” works by Farini, Viviani, Buonamente, Fux, Vivaldi, and other baroque composers are coupled with the world premiere of Italian Soundscapes by contemporary Italian composer Guido Morini. For full program details, visit tafelmusik.org
Though today Vienna is synonymous with the music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, the city also enjoys a fascinating connection with the “new” baroque music that travelled across the Alps from Italy in the 1600s. Austrian composers caught the spark of innovation from their Italian counterparts, who were experimenting with a style of music that was free, adventurous, and expressive. Italian composers and musicians were sought after by the Viennese court, and Austrian composers soon experimented with some of the radical changes imported from il bel paese.
Tafelmusik’s musicians bring this boundary-stretching period of experimentation back to life with ornamentation and improvisation — during and between the pieces. The program starts with intimate solos, duos, and trios by Farina, Bertali, Buonamente, Biber, and Neri before progressing to works for full orchestra by Muffat and Fux, along with Vivaldi’s Concerto in D Major, RV563.
The program includes the world premiere of Guido Morini’s Italian Soundscapes, a piece in three movements commissioned by Tafelmusik for this occasion. An eminent harpsichordist and organist, Morini writes baroque-style music from a 21st-century perspective.
“My music is entirely conceived using musical languages of the past. Just as an architect uses only wood and stone for a building instead of steel and concrete, I use the composition techniques of the old masters, ranging from Flemish polyphony to Bach. What interests me is not the rigorous philological reconstruction of old works, but rather the melding of renaissance and baroque cultural heritage with contemporary sensibilities,” says Morini.
Morini has collaborated with several high-profile European musicians including Jordi Savall, Enrico Gatti, and Gabriel Garrido, among many others. In 1984, together with Marco Beasley, he founded Accordone, an ensemble with which he explores a new approach towards the interpretation of Italian baroque repertoire.
LISTING INFORMATION
Baroque Roots
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra directed by Elisa Citterio
Dates & Times:
Wed Oct 16, 2019 at 7pm
Thu Oct 17, Fri Oct 18, Sat Oct 19 at 8pm
Sun Oct 20 at 3:30pm
Ticket prices:
Regular: starting from $42
Discounts available for seniors (65+), 35 and under, and youth (18 and under).
Venues:
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
427 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Box Office:
Tafelmusik Box Office: (416) 964-6337
ABOUT TAFELMUSIK
Led by Music Director Elisa Citterio, Tafelmusik is one of the world’s leading period-instrument ensembles, performing on instruments and in styles appropriate for the era of the music. Renowned for dynamic, engaging, and soulful performances, Tafelmusik performs some 80 concerts each year for audiences across Toronto, and is Canada’s most toured orchestra, having performed in more than 350 cities in 32 countries. The orchestra is often joined by the critically acclaimed Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and its director, Ivars Taurins.
Tafelmusik also seeks to transport audiences to the baroque and classical periods through insightful multimedia programs and adventurous cross-cultural collaborations. Our musicians share their knowledge and experience through comprehensive education and artist-training initiatives such as the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer and Winter Institutes. Tafelmusik’s recordings on the Sony, CBC Records, Analekta, and Tafelmusik Media labels have garnered ten JUNOs and numerous international recording prizes.
Website: tafelmusik.org
Social Media: Facebook| Twitter| Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
2019/20 SEASON PARTNERS
Tafelmusik wishes to thank the following for their generous support: BMO Financial Group, TD Bank Group, RBC Foundation, KPMG, Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Whitmer Trudel Charitable Foundation, The Pluralism Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Classical 96.3 FM, and NOW Magazine. Tafelmusik is a proud member of the Bloor St. Culture Corridor.
Media contact: Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications, (416) 456-0499
luisa@luisatrisi.com | 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X7