Victoria Baroque Players: Surprise Symphony

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Saturday, September 12th, 2015
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Radiant chamber works for flute, bassoon and strings! Haydn (transcr. Salomon) - "Surprise Symphony" Mozart (transcr. Masi) - Overtures for Magic Flute & Marriage of Figaro Mozart - Flute Quartet in D Stamitz: Bassoon Quartet in B flat

About Victoria Baroque Players:

Now in their fifth season, the Victoria Baroque Players present high-quality, high-energy, and engaging performances of music from the baroque and classical periods. Playing on the instruments of the 18th century, the historically-informed ensemble brings audiences closer to the sound world of the period, embracing the dance-driven rhythmic vitality, as well as the lyrical and conversational aspect of the baroque music. The core members are Vancouver Island residents and early music specialists with extensive performance experience in Canada and abroad. About this Programme: Haydn's "Surprise Symphony" No.94 is one of the 12 London Symphonies Haydn wrote for his two visits to London between 1791 and 1795, in response to the invitation by the violinist, composer and impresario Johann Peter Salomon. The symphonies were an immediate success, and to maximise their circulation, Salomon himself transcribed all the 12 symphonies for a chamber ensemble of flute and string quartet.

Chamber arrangements of orchestral music were common practice in the 18th century; in this era long before recording technology, chamber arrangements allowed popular masterworks to be performed and heard more frequently, and in more intimate settings. These chamber arrangements are well worth hearing in the modern day too: played just one-player-per-part, the transcriptions allow Haydn's ingenious writing to be heard more transparently, and encourage more spontaneity of interpretation. The 18th-century instruments used by the VBP - the mellow-toned woodwinds and gut strings - further enhance the warmth and conversational nature of this music. In this programme, the VBP has added a bassoon to the transcription, adding extra colour and depth to the texture. 

The programme will also include 18th-century transcriptions of Mozart's Overtures for his operas The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro. VBP's Artistic Director and flute player Soile Stratkauskas will be featured in Mozart's Flute Quartet in D major, and VBP's bassoonist Katrina Russell will have the spotlight in Stamitz's Bassoon Quartet in B flat.

Ticket enquiries: 250 477 3870 Tickets available at: Munro's Books, Ivy's Bookshop, and Long&McQuade (Victoria), and at the door