Events

Metamorphosis: Viola da gambist Paolo Pandolfo. PACIFIC BAROQUE FESTIVAL 2012 “MUSIC FOR THE SUN KING”

South Vancouver Island

Thu. February 9th, 2012 8:00pm - 9:30pm

Discover the musical brilliance of Versailles and beyond. At this concert, the world’s greatest viola da gambist combines a thorough historical knowledge of his instrument, its repertoire and performance practice, to present a musical journey from the viola da gamba’s popularity in baroque France. Program includes Bach’s First Cello Suite BVW 1007.

The French court at the time of the Sun King, Louis XIV, was an age of artistic splendour, with lavish spectacles and musical entertainments, and richly instrumented music for the church and Parisian concert life. To further his political ends, Louis invested in the arts, determined to make them a metaphor of political stability. He attracted to his court some of Europe’s most enlightened composers who in many ways revolutionized music.

Pacific Baroque Festival 2012 presents music written for the 17th and 18th century French courts, and will show how French music at the Court at Versailles influenced two great German composers, Telemann and Bach.

This concert is the first of five Festival events.