Henry Purcell and Music of 17th-Century London (2021)

Folger Consort performed "Henry Purcell and Music of 17th-Century London" on October 22, 2021 at St. Marks on Capitol Hill.

Description

Folger Consort celebrates the musical treasures of Restoration London and its leading composer, Henry Purcell. The favorite composer of London’s theaters, Purcell’s flair for the dramatic will be on display in his arias and incidental music for The Fairy Queen and other works for the stage. Exploring Purcell's more refined side, the Consort unearths the wonderfully melodic and inventive Baroque musical gems of his instrumental music. While at their heart they exemplify Baroque English style, the detailed part-writing, unusual disonnances, and motivic unity of works like his Chacony in G minor bring to mind more familiar chamber music of later centuries.

The program also includes earlier instrumental works, such as the rarely-performed suites of William Lawes and Matthew Locke which foreshadow the intricacy of Purcell’s instrumental music, and vocal selections illustrating the various styles of songwriting popular in 17th-century London. With viol consort and Baroque strings, harpsichordist Joseph Gascho, and soprano Jessica Beebe.

Program

Music of Henry Purcell's predecessors

William Lawes: Royall Consort Sett no. 5 in D major

Henry Lawes: The Lark

Charles Coleman: Venus lamenting her lost Adonis

Nicholas Lanier: No more shall meads be deck'd with flow'rs

Matthew Locke: Consort Suite no. 2 in D major

Music of Henry Purcell

Music, for a while (from Oedipus)

I'll sail upon a dog-star (from A Fool's Preferment)

Two in One upon a ground (from Dioclesian)

Fantasia in Four Parts, Z. 742

Suite in A minor for harpsichord solo, Z. 663

Sweeter than roses (from Pausanius)

Hark! The echoing air (from The Fairy Queen)

Sonata no. 7 in C major, Z. 808 (from Ten Sonatas in Four Parts)

Now the sun hath veiled his light ("An Evening Hymn")

Chacony in G minor, Z. 730

Now the night is chas'd away (from The Fairy Queen)

Artists

Jessica Beebe: Soprano

Risa Browder: Violin, Viol

Robert Eisenstein: Violin, Viols, Artistic Director

Joseph Gascho: Harpsichord

Christopher Kendall: Lute, Theorbo, Artistic Director

John Moran: Viol

Brent Wissick: Viol