Performances at Sanders Theatre and NEC’s Jordan Hall Showcase the Best of Baroque Instrumental Music.
BOSTON | The Brandenburgs are back! For the third consecutive year, the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra is set to perform J.S. Bach’s complete set of six Brandenburg Concertos, playing on period instruments and using techniques to present the concertos as Bach himself meant them to be heard. Concerts will be held on Feb 21 and 23 at Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, with a third performance on Feb 22 at NEC’s Jordan Hall. All three performances will be co-directed by H+H concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky and principal keyboardist Ian Watson from within the ensemble, orchestrating a musical conversation between the instruments on stage.
Composed over several years and dedicated to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg in 1721, Bach’s Six Concerts avec plusieurs instruments (Six Concertos for Several Instruments) set the standard for today’s understanding of Baroque instrumental music with imaginative blending of instrumental colors, textures, and balance. Each Concerto requires a different combination of Baroque instruments; alternating passages for larger ensemble and soloists allow the musicians to make each individual performance unique.
“The smaller venue setting and ensemble format of the Brandenburg concerts allows our brilliant musicians to create an intimate, interactive, and truly memorable experience for audience members,” said David Snead, President and CEO of the Handel and Haydn Society. “When H+H plays Bach’s Brandenburgs, the sound is every bit as fresh and contemporary as when the music was first written.”
Highlights of each Concerto, in the order that H+H performs them, include:
- No. 1 – solo violino piccolo (a small Baroque violin) is paired with oboe, horn, and bassoon;
- No. 5 – harpsichord, usually an accompanying bass line instrument, shines as the soloist;
- No. 3 – three each of violins, violas, and cellos play an extended, high-energy dance;
- No. 2 – trumpet, recorder, oboe, and violin pass the melody in a study of orchestration and texture;
- No. 6 – scored for two “new” style instruments, violas da braccio (held by the arms), two violas da gamba (held by the legs), and cello, No. 6 is the only Concerto that does not include violin;
- No. 4 – all solo instruments are used in each movement to conclude the concert.
Aisslinn Nosky was appointed Concertmaster of the Handel and Haydn Society in 2011. She shares her passion for early music and skill as a soloist, director, and conductor with audiences in Boston and across the globe. She has performed with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Charlotte Symphony, Utah Symphony, Holland Baroque, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, the Juilliard School, among others. Born in Canada, Aisslinn began playing violin at age three and made her solo debut with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra at eight.
Ian Watson first played with H+H in 2007 and has served as Associate Conductor since 2016.
He is also Artistic Director of the Connecticut Early Music Festival. Ian has appeared with most major UK orchestras, the Polish and Stuttgart Chamber Orchestras, Colorado Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Komische Oper Berlin, and numerous others. He is featured on several film soundtracks, including Amadeus, Cry the Beloved Country, and the BBC‘s production of David Copperfield. At age 14 Ian won a scholarship to the Junior School of the Royal Academy of Music in London, later winning all the prizes for organ performance.
Concert Information
The Handel and Haydn Society presents the complete Brandenburg Concertos at Sanders Theatre (45 Quincy St, Cambridge) on Friday, February 21 at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 23 at 3:00pm, and at NEC’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St, Boston) on Saturday, February 22 at 7:30pm.
Individual tickets and subscription packages are still available for purchase by calling 617.262.1815 or visiting handelandhaydn.org.
Musically Speaking
Prior to each performance all ticket holders are invited to Musically Speaking. Hosted by H+H’s Christopher Hogwood Historically Informed Performance Fellow Teresa Neff, this talk provides background and context about the music on the program. Musically Speaking takes place 1 hour prior to each performance in Sanders Theatre and 45 minutes prior to each performance at NEC’s Jordan Hall.
About the Handel and Haydn Society
Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society performs Baroque and Classical music with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. Called “one of the most exciting ensembles of historically informed performances in the world” (OperaWire), H+H has been captivating audiences for 210 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts