Publick Musick

For a composer who was so important in the development of the sonata and concerto, there's a surprising lack of knowledge about the early years of Arcangelo Corelli. This we do know: by the age of 22, he was working in Rome, where he would make a name for himself, moving in the highest circles of society, performing for heads of state and the church. And his sphere of influence extended well beyond Italy; Bach studied Corelli's works, and used them as inspiration.

It was a balmy 67 degrees on March 30, 2019, and the Publick Musick was celebrating spring in the Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word with a musical tour of Naples, Italy. Among the destinations: a Recorder Concerto by Neapolitan Nicola Fiorenza. A man of mystery, Fiorenza's bio is remarkably thin--his birth date can only be pegged at sometime after 1700. He began as a cellist, switching to the violin after a stint in the Royal Chapel Court Orchestra.

Telemann: Noveaux Quatuors en Six Suite, No. 2

In May, 2017, the Publick Music took us to the salons of eighteenth century Paris, one of the great centers of artistic and intellectual life in Europe. Paris was hopping--one report said you could see a concert every day in the city. So what, you might ask, is a piece by Georg Philipp Telemann doing on the program?

Isabella Leonarda:  Sonata duodecima a violin solo

Boel Gidholm, violin
Deborah Fox, theorbo
Naomi Gregory, Italian Baroque organ

Sponsored by Publick Musick, this concert recording was part of the Third Thursday Concert's with Eastman's Italian Baroque Organ at the Memorial Art Gallery.  The performance was on January 19th, 2017 as part of a larger program titled "O Anima Mea."

Weckmann:  Wie liegt die Stadt so wuest

Laura Heims, soprano; Micha Bouvier, baritone; Boel Gidholm & Mary Riccardi, Baroque violins; Christel Thielmann, Rosamund Morley and Cora Swenson Lee, viola da gamba; Naomi Gregory and Edoardo Bellotti, organ.

Publick Musick, a Baroque group that plays on period instruments, joined forces with renowned early music singers to create a program “Of Heaven and Earth,” in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Matthais Weckmann.