Sunday Baroque

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in March of 1685, and every year at this time we throw a little birthday celebration for the composer. You’ll hear a selection from his St. Matthew Passion, one of the keyboard partitas, and selections from the ART OF FUGUE.

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up on March 17, and Sunday Baroque highlights this weekend will include a recording by the Irish Baroque Orchestra Chamber Soloists and some lilting traditional Irish lute solos. You’ll also hear Belfast-born flutist James Galway with the New Irish Chamber Orchestra playing a Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi on Sunday Baroque.

Chicago native Demarre McGill has been Principal Flute of the Seattle Symphony since 2012. When he started playing flute at the age of 7, he says it immediately “felt so good.” You’ll hear his beautiful artistry playing the 5th Brandenburg Concerto by Johann Sebastian Bach on Sunday Baroque this weekend.

William Shakespeare wrote that, “Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.” Shakespeare didn’t mention that the so-called god of love sometimes used the kind of bow that’s used to play a string instrument. Cupid is the protagonist of an 18th century Italian Violin Sonata. You’ll hear the mythological love story about Cupid and Psyche is one of the musical love stories you’ll hear this week.

The only known surviving full-length opera by French violinist and composer Jean-Marie Leclair is mythological love story, and a cautionary tale about a mortal fisherman who fell in love with the a nymph and tried to get a love potion from a witch.

LA SERENISSIMA – the most serene republic – is a nickname for the Italian city of Venice. It’s also the name of a performing group that specializes in playing baroque era music from that region. Antonio Vivaldi’s works are central to their repertoire, and this week on Sunday Baroque, you’ll hear them perform one of his concertos.

For about a year and a half George Frideric Handel worked as music director for James Brydges, an enthusiastic music lover who played flute and used his wealth to sponsor his own 24 member orchestra. As the house composer, Handel wrote a dozen anthems for use in the Brydges’ private chapel.

Violinist Kristin Lee was 7 when her family moved from Seoul, Korea to the United States. The once-chatty little girl suddenly felt isolated in a new country, and music became her way to connect and make friends.

In 1973, American conductor, harpsichordist, and composer Martin Pearlman broke new ground by founding North America’s first permanent Baroque orchestra. His ensemble became a driving force in the revival and celebration of Baroque music.

If you’re hunting for some pleasing music, you’ll want to stick around to hear an Orchestral Suite by Georg Philipp Telemann that is nicknamed THE HUNT and other tunes imitating hunting horns.