Bach in Baltimore Presents: Bach & Handel!
A rousing concert of large scale works by Bach and Handel. The concert opens with Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. The concerto is saturated with references to the “holy” number three, ranging from the title to the ensemble, which is made of three groups of strings, each containing three parts, to the number of notes in the principal motive of the first movement. Perhaps best characterized as a “concerto grosso,” the Brandenburg is paired with a Handel that employs that name: Concerto Grosso Op.6, No. 4. A concerto grosso is a work that features entire groups within the orchestra as soloists. Come hear two of the best!
Handel’s concerto grosso opens with memorable pomp. The expansive melody is at turns gallant, warm, sensuous, and mysterious. The concert concludes with Bach Cantata 169: Gott soll allein mein Herze haben (God alone shall have my heart), a solo cantata for an alto soloist. Three great works that epitomize the lasting beauty of the two giants in Western musical traditions.
