Proms Saturday Matinee 1 - 20.07.13: Handel in Rome

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

3.00pm – c. 4.30pm
Cadogan Hall

Corelli
Concerto grosso in D major, Op. 6 No. 1 (12 mins)
Handel
Cantata 'Pensieri notturni di Filli' (7 mins)
Valentini
Concerto grosso in A major for four violins, Op. 7 No. 1 (20 mins)
Handel
Cantata 'Tra le fiamme' (17 mins)
Corelli
Concerto grosso in F major, Op. 6 No. 12 (11 mins)

Sophie Bevan soprano
Academy of Ancient Music
Richard Egarr harpsichord-director

Before setlling in Britain Handel visited to Rome to hear the famous Italian violinist and composer Arcangelo Corelli. Unable to write operas - which were temporarily banned in the Papal states - Handel turned his hand to writing sacred music. In this first of five Proms Saturday Matinees, Richard Egarr, Sophie Bevan and the Academy of Ancient Music examine Handel's vivacious Italian cantatas in the context of virtuosic concerti grossi and harpsichord music by Corelli and his compatriots.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is anyone allowed to play Handel on Modern instruments nowadays?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Is anyone allowed to play Handel on Modern instruments nowadays?

Oh, yes. But nobody wants to.

[doversoul1]

This afternoon. Don’t miss it.

[Tony Halstead]

Oh, yes. But nobody wants to.

When Handel was alive his instruments were indeed 'modern'!

[amcluesent]

Fantastic Prom. Need more programmes like this, not beeps and clangs and no Trelawny shouting and bellowing.

[Flosshilde]

Fantastic Prom. Need more programmes like this, not beeps and clangs and no Trelawny shouting and bellowing.

It was indeed a fantastic Prom - but we need both types of programme.

Waldhorn - my thoughts exactly

[PhilipT]

Another agreement! Was worth the £12 just for 'Tra le fiamme', and Sophie Bevan must surely be in the running for the "Best Frock of the Season" award.

[BBMmk2]

I wish ensembles would be brave enough to play these works on modern instruments?

[bluestateprommer]

It was indeed a fantastic Prom - but we need both types of programme.

Notion heartily seconded (I, for one, am perfectly capable of listening to both Handel and "beeps and clangs" - did someone have Stockhausen in mind?), as indeed is a vote from this side of the pond to folks who haven't yet listened to this Saturday Matinee Prom to check it out, and I say this as the resident not-particularly-a-Baroque music fan. Sometimes CB-H's manner can rank a bit up there on the Petroc-meter as a presenter, but I think she's more used to presenting in Cadogan Hall. As well, Richard Egarr makes a most excellent guide and de facto co-host along with CB-H, the kind of performer who can address 'intelligent laypeople' and those who are more aficionados (aficionadoes?) into the world of Baroque well. I'm not familiar with Sophie Bevan, but she sounded fine in her selections, and the AAM were terrific throughout. The non-Handel selections went terrifically well too.