Musical entertainment that baroque(s) the mould…
PRESENTED by Camerata Tinta Barocca, Cape Town’s musical fraternity can look forward to an exciting baroque festival from Thursday, September 21 to Sunday, September 24. At different times, in various venues, seven events will take place.
The venues are St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Green Point, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Strand Street, and Welgemeend, 2 Welgemeend Street Gardens.
Directed by Erik Dippenaar on harpsichord the Baroque Music Festival opens with an Opera Gala on Thursday at 8pm at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Lynelle Kenned and Elsabe Richter (sopranos), Sandile Mabaso (tenor), Bongani Kubheka (bass-baritone), the Cape Town Chamber Choir and Camerata Tinta Barocca will present excerpts from operas by Handel, Rameau, Purcell, Blow and Pergolesi. Come at 7pm to hear Anna Stoddard’s preconcert talk Baroque Divas.
At St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Friday at 8pm, Durban’s Baroque 2000 perform chamber music from the Baroque. This group, comprising Ralitza Macheva (violin) Refiloe Olifant (violin), Cecilia di Cecco (cello) and Erik Dippenaar (harpsichord), play music by Uccelini Merula, Geminiani, Barsanti, Vivaldi and Boyce.
At St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Saturday at 1pm, in From Bach to Bach, John Coulter (fortepiano) presents a recital of sonatas and rondos by Haydn, Johann Christian Bach and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. This programme covers broad styles from the luminous Galante of JC Bach to the early Romantic in the highly personal style of CPE Bach.
Starting at 2.30pm at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Saturday, heritage architect John Rennie will lead a walking tour of Cape Town’s historic city-centre buildings. Special focus will be St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Strand Street Lutheran Church and mosques in De Waterkant area.
Also on Saturday, at 8pm, the festival presents Voices of Vox. Elsabe Richter (soprano) and Camerata Tinta Barocca join forces with John Woodland’s Vox Cape Town to present a programme consisting of Mozart’s Laudate Dominum, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and Haydn’s Missa Brevis Sancti de Deo. Once again Erik Dippenaar directs.
On Sunday at 11.30am at the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Strand Street, The Cape Consort presents a concert titled The Bachs – A Family Affair. Here, under Hans Huyssen’s direction, the ensemble continues its exploration of the musical interactions within the Bach family, looking at music by Johann, Michael, Christoph and Sebastian Bach.
At 1pm on Sunday in Welgemeend, 2 Welgemeend Street, Gardens, Sing for Your Supper Goes Baroque chef Marc Wassung and Monika Voysey (mezzo-soprano), present a luncheon and concerto of baroque arias and duets featuring Nick de Jager (tenor) and Erik Dippenaar on harpsichord. Canapes and a complimentary drink will be served, followed by a two-course lunch. A cash bar is available.
Cape Town Baroque Festival’s seven programmes offer novel musical experiences. Book at https://ctbaroque.co.za/festival or Compticket.