The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO) is an American orchestra based in San Francisco. PBO is dedicated to historically informed performance of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music on original instruments. The orchestra performs its subscription series in the following cities and venues:
San Francisco: Herbst Theatre
Berkeley: First Congregational Church of Berkeley
Stanford: Bing Concert Hall
Palo Alto: First United Methodist Church
Laurette Goldberg, a harpsichordist, teacher, and pupil of Gustav Leonhardt, founded the PBO in 1981. She stood down as the ensemble’s music director in 1985 and chose Nicholas McGegan as her successor. McGegan served as PBO music director from 1985 through 2020. During McGegan’s tenure, the Philharmonia Chorale was established in 1995 as the affiliated chorus with the PBO, under the direction of Bruce Lamott. McGegan now has the title of music director laureate with the PBO.
In 2012, Richard Egarr first guest-conducted the PBO. Following two additional guest appearances, in January 2019, the PBO announced the appointment of Egarr as its next Music Director, with an initial contract of 5 years. The original intention was for Egarr to serve as music director designate for the 2020-2021 season, and then to take the title of music director with the 2021-2022 season.[3] In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PBO reconfigured its 2020-2021 season into a virtual season, and announced the advent of Egarr as its music director effective 1 July 2020, one season earlier than originally planned.
The PBO has collaborated with such arts organisations as Cal Performances, the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, and the New York Baroque Dance Company in the fully staged, modern-day premiere of Rameau’s Le Temple de la Gloire in April 2017. PBO regularly partners with the Mark Morris Dance Group.
The PBO has commercially recorded for such labels as Harmonia Mundi, Reference Recordings and BMG and Avie. The ensemble initiated its own label, Philharmonia Baroque Productions, in 2011. On radio, the PBO has been regularly featured on KDFC-FM. (wikipedia)
And here they perform an important concert work by Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli (17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of the violin, and as the first coalescing of modern tonality and functional harmony.
Engraving of a bust of Corelli from the title page of
his Twelve Concerti Grossi, Op.6 (pub. 1714):
He was trained in Bologna and Rome, and in this city he developed most of his career, due also to the protection of great patrons. Even if his entire production is limited to just six collections of published works — five of which are composed of Trio Sonatas or solo and one by Concerti grossi — he achieved great fame and success throughout Europe, also crystallizing models of wide influence.
His writing was admired for its balance, refinement, sumptuous and original harmonies, for the richness of the textures, for the majestic effect of the theatricality and for its clear, expressive and melodious polyphony, a perfect quality of classical ideals, although belonging to the baroque epoch and often employing resources typical of this school, such as the exploration of dynamic and expressive contrasts, but always tempered by a great sense of moderation. He was the first to fully apply, with an expressive and structuring purpose, the new tonal system, consolidated after at least two hundred years of experimentation.
As a virtuoso violinist he was considered one of the greatest of his generation and contributed, thanks to the development of modern playing techniques and to his many disciples scattered throughout Europe, to place the violin among the most prestigious solo instruments and was also a significant figure in the evolution of the traditional orchestra.
A dominant figure in Roman musical life and internationally highly regarded, he was desired by many courts and was included in the most prestigious artistic and intellectual society of his time, the Pontifical Academy of Arcadia. He was known in his time as “the new Orpheus”, “the prince of musicians” and other similar adjectives, great folklore was generated around his figure and his fame did not diminish after his death. Even today his work is the subject of a voluminous critical bibliography and his sonatas are still widely used in musical academies as didactic material as well as pieces capable of affirming themselves in today’s concert repertoire. His position in the history of Western music is considered crucial, being recognized as one of the greatest masters at the turn of the XVII and XVIII century, as well as one of the earliest and greatest classicists. (wikipedia)
Twelve concerti grossi, Op. 6, is a collection of twelve concerti written by Arcangelo Corelli probably in the 1680s but not prepared for publication until 1714. They are among the finest and first examples of concerti grossi: concertos for a concertino group (here a 1st violin, a 2nd violin and a cello) and a ripieno group of strings with continuo.
Their publication – decades after their composition and after Italian composers had moved to favor the ritornello concerto form associated with Vivaldi – caused waves of concerto grosso writing in Germany and England, where in 1739 Georg Frideric Handel honored Corelli directly with his own “Opus 6” collection of twelve. (wikipedia)
This album is really fantastic. The performance, the sound, the music is really beautiful. The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra conducted by Nicholas McGegan is magnific. Simply bravo! (Manuel Carranza Cueto)
Personnel:
Tracklist:
Concerto No. VII In D Major:
01 Vivace-Allegro-Adagio 1.56
02 Allegro 1.57
03 Andante Largo 1.54
04 Allegro 1.02
05 Vivace 1.02
Concerto No. VIII In G Minor (“Christmas Concerto”);
06 Vivace-Grave. Arcate sostenuto e come stà 1.12
07 Allegro 2.13
08 Adagio-Allegro-Adagio 2.43
09. Vivace 0.54
10. Allegro 2.13
11. Pastorale ad libitum: Lagro 2.47
Concerto No. IX In F Major:
12 Preludio: Largo 1.12
13 Allemanda: Allegro 2.28
14 Corrente: Vivace 1.30
15 Gavotta: Allegro 0.45
16 Adagio 0.26
17 Minuetto: Vivace 1.37
Concerto No. X In C Major:
18 Preludio: Andante Largo 1.42
19 Allemanda: Allegro 2.08
20 Adagio 0.36
21 Corrente: Vivace 2.27
22 Allegro 2.29
23 Minuetto: Vivace 1.40
Concerto No. XI In B flat Major:
24 Preludio: Andante Largo 2.04
25 Allemanda: Allegro 2.17
26 Adagio-Andante Largo 1.37
27 Sarabana: Largo 0.50
28 Giga: Vivace 1.11
Concerto No. XII In F Major:
29 Preludio: Adagio 1.42
30 Allegro 2.20
31 Adagio 1.14
32 Sarabanda: Vivace 0.53
33 Giga: Allegro 2.54
Music: Arcangelo Corelli
The official website:
Leonard Bernstein ( August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first American conductor to receive international acclaim. According to music critic Donal Henahan, he was “one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history”. Bernstein was the recipient of many honors, including seven Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, sixteen Grammy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor.
As for the Beethoven—well, in spite of what Page tells us I find it quite impressive. Tempos can be on the deliberate side, sound can be overbearing (the recording gives the timpani a fuzzy edge), but there’s surprisingly little pulling-about of pulse, and the expression—more contained than in a normal Lenny performance—has warmth and fluency. The finale, on the other hand, is a struggle in the positive sense (I emphasize that I made my notes before reading the booklet). The huge timpani crescendos aren’t to my taste, but there’s no denying the feeling behind them, or the will within the heroic tonal stuggle of the coda. It doesn’t all work: going through trio repeats both times at Bernstein’s portentous tread is a bit of an ordeal (what it must have been for Bernstein himself defies speculation). I certainly wouldn’t put it at, or even near the top of any list of recommended Sevenths. But I am glad I heard it. Even in such appalling circumstances, Leonard Bernstein was still capable of enriching our understanding of Beethoven. (gramophone.co.uk)
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979.[ Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Roddy Bottum and drummer Mike Bordin are the longest-remaining members of the band, having been involved since its inception. The band underwent several early lineup changes, and some major changes later. The current lineup of Faith No More consists of Gould, Bordin, Bottum, lead guitarist Jon Hudson, and vocalist/lyricist Mike Patton.
Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. He draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions.
Jan Garbarek (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music.
Natasha Turner is a native New Yorker who has a very powerful, sharp vocal range, and her jazz/blues guitar playing is exceptional! Natasha opens with the Doc Pomus/Dr John classic ‘Nightbird’, this splendid song features a jazzy balance between Turner’s guitar licks and Joel Diamond’s organ chords. ‘Nothing At All’ is written by Turner and Diamond, and lyrically reminds me of ‘Lets Call The Whole Thing Off’ that Ella & Louis made famous. One of my favourite soul/jazz songs on Natasha is ‘Open Up The Door’ which features ‘Chesky Records’ Album Producer David Chesky on organ. ‘Open Up The Door’ is reminscient of Ray Charles’ and Percy Mayfield’s early recordings. ‘The Night Is A Hunter'(Pomus/Dr John) is a slow blues dialogue that Turner creates an imtimacy that draws you ever closer to her flame. ‘Just A Little Bit’ is a Roscoe Gordon R&B gem and it’s great to see it revived here. ‘Endless Game’ (Turner/Diamond) is jazzy. I’ve heard many bands record Nick Gravenites ‘Born In Chicago’, this version has to be one of the best; Teddy Erwin and Turner’s guitars absolutely soar! ‘Tell Me What You’re Gonna Do'(Pomus/Dr John) is strutting blues featuring Joel on piano. ‘Seven Angels’ is a brilliant Natasha Turner original, and she begins with a dialogue, then moves into some very catchy lyrics. ‘High Cost Of Loving'(Dr John/Duke Robillard) has a rockier edge to it. ‘Wrong Kind Of Man’ is another Turner original, and this leans heaverly to Charles/Mayfield influences. The coup de grace on Natasha is Jimmy Rogers’ ‘Walking By Myself’. Now this is an album that most people will not have heard about, least of all seen, yet it rates as one of my all time favourite R&B albums with jazzy/blues influences. Anyone who plays Doc Pomus/Dr John is alright by me. David Chesky made sure that Natasha(1991) was very well recorded, and Natasha Turner delivered with a fantastic band! (by Gazz)
Sir George Ivan “Van” Morrison OBE (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and record producer. His professional career began as a teenager in the late 1950s, playing a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands, covering the popular hits of that time. Van Morrison rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Northern Irish R&B band, Them, with whom he recorded the garage band classic “Gloria”. His solo career began in 1967, under the pop-hit orientated guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single “Brown Eyed Girl”. After Berns’s death, Warner Bros. Records bought out his contract and allowed him three sessions to record Astral Weeks (1968). Though this album gradually garnered high praise, it was initially a poor seller.
The story of QUATERNA REQUIEM goes back to the late 80’s in Brazil, when classically trained brothers Elisa Wiermann (piano, harpsichord, organ) and Claudio Dantes (Percussion), decide to blend their two passions (Classical Music and Rock) , the name of the band (Latin for “The other four”) was a reference to the other members of the original formation.
Ludwig Güttler (born 13 June 1943) is an internationally known German virtuoso on the Baroque trumpet, the piccolo trumpet and the corno da caccia. As a conductor, he founded several ensembles including the chamber orchestra Virtuosi Saxoniae. His name is sometimes written in English as Ludwig Guttler.
International Music Seminar in Weimar from 1980 to 1990.
In 1983 he received a record prize of the Deutsche Phono-Akademie in Hamburg as “Discovery of the Year”. In 1988 he was the second recipient of the Georg-Philipp-Telemann-Preis of Magdeburg, in 1989 the Frankfurter Musikpreis. In both 1978 and 1985 he received the National Prize of East Germany, which he returned in 1989, asking that the money should be devoted to the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche.
Cassell Webb is a British-American musician.
in the early ’80s, first to Holland and then to England, where she remained permanently and began her solo recording career. Initially signed to the Virgin owned independent label Statik Records, for which she recorded her debut album, Llano, she later joined the roster of Venture Records, an avant grade offshoot of Richard Branson’s Virgin Records label, through which she recorded Thief of Sadness in 1987. Webb’s most representative and popular album was her third, Songs of a Stranger, which was derived from her concert repertory of other writers’ music, including Jimmy Webb (“P.F. Sloan”), Nick Drake (“Time Has Told Me”), Townes Van Zandt (“If I Needed You”), and Phil Ochs (“Jim Dean of Indiana”).
ManyFantasticColors 