One of Passacaglia’s most popular and entertaining programmes, Coffee House Music is a celebration of the lively eighteenth century coffee club culture which prevailed in cities across northern Europe, from Leipzig to London. Featuring famous music performed in the Coffee Houses, and celebrating the power and potency of this newly popular beverage, our programme presents pieces by Telemann, Handel, Marais and, with soprano soloist Julia Gooding, JS Bach’s famous aria
Ei! wie schmeckt from the Coffee Cantata.
In this most extravagant of baroque programmes, Passacaglia re-traces the cultural route of the traditional Grand Tour. Beginning in the theatres of Handel’s London, we travel via the Royal Palace at Versailles into the coffee houses known by Bach and Telemann, crossing the alps to Vivaldi’s Venice and finally to Rome, home of baroque master Corelli. An elegant collection of some of the best instrumental solos, trios and quartets of the baroque era. Available as an instrumental programme, or with soprano Julia Gooding.
Our inspiration for this programme is the wealth of instrumental music built on popular tunes and themes of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The programme features classic variations on
La Follia by Vivaldi and Marais, on
La Bergamasca by Uccellini, and works built on a ground bass from
The Division Flute. A really colourful and entertaining programme with plenty of memorable melodies and instrumental variety.
Featuring songs of life and love (and lust!) by baroque masters Purcell, Handel and Scarlatti, this enticing programme presents top soprano Julia Gooding in partnership with Passacaglia. Flutes and recorders have long been used by composers to illustrate affairs of the heart, and our wonderfully engaging programme includes the famous aria
Lascia ch'io Pianga from Handel’s
Rinaldo, as well as some imaginative chamber music by Couperin and Telemann with an amorous theme!
The first public concerts in Paris - known as the Concert Spirituel - took place away from the Royal Court, in the Tuileries, where more daring and eclectic tastes could prevail. Featuring instrumental music in the highly fashionable and controversial Italian virtuoso style, our programme includes music by Leclair, Royer, Rameau, Dornel and members of the illustrious Philidor family. A treat of French eighteenth century splendour and decadence, with more than a hint of Italian extravagance! Celebrating the release of Passacaglia’s new CD recording of instrumental music by Louis-Antoine Dornel.
In this special programme, premiered in 2006 with guest violinist Oliver Webber, Passacaglia performs extracts from JS Bach’s monumental
Musical Offering, interspersed with entertaining trio sonatas by Bach’s famed compatriots, Telemann and Handel. Performed by some of the UK’s best baroque instrumentalists, this is a programme not to be missed!
The sixteenth century Italian courtier Castiglione defined the ideal characteristics of a nobleman in his famous 'Book of the Courtier'. Above all, the successful noble should display many physical, mental and artistic skills with grace and panache, yet concealing the effort of their labour. This highly prized skill was known as 'Sprezzatura', and was greatly aspired to amongst artists, composers and performers alike. Our programme based on this theme is an exploration of the virtuosic and expressive delights of the early Baroque in Italy and includes music by dalla Casa, Rognoni, Castello, Uccellini, Frescobaldi and others.
