Bach Collegium Japan

Dance-inspired German music, Vivaldi’s gleaming virtuosity, Handel’s hybrid German-Italian style, and more are showcased by one of the preeminent period instrument ensembles, Bach Collegium Japan. Bach’s famous suite is a showpiece for flute and strings, while Vivaldi’s concerto is a classic of its kind. In addition to the instrumental works, there’s a cantata by Conti, much admired by Bach, and a brilliantly virtuosic Italianate motet by Handel that’s noteworthy for its culminating sparkling Alleluia.

Jordi Savall
Le Concert des Nations

When the film Tous les matins du monde premiered nearly 30 years ago, the music of two French composer-gambists—Jean de Sainte-Colombe and Marin Marais—was introduced to wider audiences. While Gérard Depardieu’s portrayal of Marais was fascinating, Jordi Savall provided the musical “voice” of the composer and introduced the astoundingly beautiful music of the early French Baroque to many. Savall and his Le Concert des Nations performed the soundtrack music, and they return to this sublime repertoire in a concert that features poetic music for solo and multiple viols, graceful dances, dramatic character pieces, and more.

Arcangelo

Since its formation in 2010, Arcangelo has risen to the top ranks of period instrument ensembles. For this program, Arcangelo performs instrumental works by Bach and Buxtehude, as well as Handel’s rarely heard Nine German Arias. Handel wrote little in his native German, but his friend the poet Barthold Heinrich Brockes—with whom he shared religious beliefs—wrote sacred texts that the composer set to some of his most luscious melodies. While the arias are vocally splendid and have much of the expressive power of Handel’s operas, they also boast many beautiful passages for solo instruments.