The King's Fiddler - Pacific Baroque Festival "Music for Distracted Times"

An hour-long concert of virtuosic music from 17th century London's leading composer-performers, including the German Thomas Baltzar and the Italian Nicola Matteis.

The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 allowed music-making to flourish and drew composer - performers to write virtuosic music for their instruments. The German violinist Thomas Baltzar settled in London, and in 1661 entered Charles II's service as leader of the king's private music ensemble, the “Four and Twenty Fiddlers”. A later arrival was the Italian Nicola Matteis, who published several volumes of his ravishing ‘Ayres for the Violin’ in the 1670s and 1680s.



The 2023 Pacific Baroque Festival (15-19 February) focuses on the music of 17th and 18th century England. With an ensemble of two violins, two viols, lute, harpsichord and organ, along with the wonderful soprano voice of Arwen Myers, we explore this rich period in music in which the political tumult of the early 1600s gave way to London becoming the largest city in Europe and a centre of artistic expression. Charles II’s reign saw the composition of the first English operas, the opening of the first public concert halls, and an influx of talented musicians from abroad which continued into the 18th century. Feauring "La Modestine", a period performance ensemble with Marc Destrubé (baroque violin), Natalie Mackie (viola da gamba) and Marco Vitale (harpsichord, organ).



CONCERT PROGRAMME

Thomas Baltzar

A Prelude for the violin in G Major



Thomas Baltzar

Variations on ‘Johny Come Kiss me Now’



Carl Friedrich Abel

Sonata in G Major for solo viola da gamba



John Jenkins

Fantasy in d minor for violin, viol and basso continuo



Nicola Matteis

‘Diverse bizzarie sopra la vecchia sarabanda o pur ciaccona’, for violin and basso continuo, from ‘Ayres for the violin’



Godfrey Finger

Sonata #2 in D Major for bass viol & harpsichord



Matteis

Suite in g for violin and basso continuo, from ‘Ayres for the violin, Book II’



Johann Christoph Pepusch (1667-1752)

Chaconne for harpsichord solo



William Lawes

Suite in D Major for violin, viol and organ