Cincinnati's Early Music Festival to Feature Rich Variety of Music
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Performances will be “authentic,” i.e. using period instruments and styles, and will take place in a wide variety of venues throughout Greater Cincinnati.
The festival opens Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church in Clifton with the Cantigium Vocal Ensemble in music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, “from Anonymous to Zarlino” (Gioseffo Zarlino, 1517-1590). Admission is free.
To come:
Music of the Renaissance. Feb. 2, 7 p.m. Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Symmes Township Branch, Loveland. Music for three violas da gamba by Ludwig Senfl, Heinrich Isaac, Orlando Gibbons and others. Catacoustic Consort’s Annalisa Pappano will play with this year’s two Early Music Scholarship winners, Cole Guillien and Stephen Goist. Repeats are Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. at the Deer Park Branch and Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Wyoming Branch. Free.
Faculty Artist Series, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Feb. 2, 8 p.m. Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM. Rodney Stucky, lute and baroque guitar. Mezzo–soprano Mary Stucky. Music from 17th-century Spain, England and the Netherlands. Composers include Nicolas Vallet, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Robert Johnson. José Marín and Francisco Guerau. Free.
The Shakespeare Band. Christ Church Cathedral, downtown. Feb. 3, 12 p.m. Music from the time of Shakespeare, featuring baritone, Renaissance guitar, lute, and viola da gamba. Bring or purchase lunch and eat while you listen. Free.
Bach Vespers at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Terrace Park. Feb. 8, 6 p.m. The Cincinnati Bach Ensemble and Cincinnati Camerata perform J.S. Bach’s “Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid,” BWV 3. Brett Scott, guest conductor. Free.
Classical Revolution. Northside Tavern, Northside. Feb. 8, 8 p.m. An all early music evening, featuring a sampler of ensembles, large and small. Free.
Consort in the Egg. Christ Church Cathedral, downtown. Feb. 10, 12 p.m. Consort in the Egg, a mostly wind ensemble that focuses on music from the 15th and 16th centuries, is joined by a vocal quartet in Renaissance music of English and Italian composers and Swiss composer Ludwig Senfl. Free.
Sacred music of Renaissance Spain. Old St. Mary’s Church, Over-the-Rhine. Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. Cristobal de Morales’ "Missa Ave Maria" will be sung in its entirety a cappella. Included will be chanted propers and motets by Morales, Francisco Guerrero, and Tomás Luis de Victoria. Free.
Harpers’ Robin. Sisters of Charity Motherhouse Immaculate Conception Chapel, Delhi. Feb. 14, 2 p.m. Harpers’ Robin, an ensemble of lever harpers, will play early music from the late 12th century to the late 17th century, arranged for harp ensemble by group members. Sources include the oral tradition of ancient Ireland, 17th-century Scottish lute manuscripts, anonymous trouvère songs from 13th-century France and other early music from Britain and Northern Europe, including vocal as well as instrumental numbers. Free.
Cantantes Camarae. “Sundrie Songs of a Lovely Nature.” All Saints Episcopal Church, Pleasant Ridge. Feb. 14, 7 p.m. Cantantes Camarae, a chamber vocal ensemble, presents Renaissance love songs for Valentine’s Day. Free.
“A Concatenation of Choirs.” St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, downtown. Feb. 15, 3 p.m. Music from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, sung by choirs including the Cathedral Choir of St. Peter in Chains, Xavier University’s Edgecliff Vocal Ensemble, and Cincinnati Camerata. Free.
Consort in the Egg. “Seven Last Words.” Sacred Heart Church, Camp Washington. Feb. 15, 4 p.m. Five instrumentalists and a vocal quartet perform "Da Jesus an dem Kreuze hing," an early setting of the Seven Last Words of Christ by Ludwig Senfl. Hear other works by Senfl and short sets of English and Italian music. Admission is $10. Call (513) 541-4654.
CCM Opera Studio Series. Monteverdi, “L’Incoronazione de Poppea.” Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM. Feb. 20 and 21, 8 p.m. Feb. 22, 2 p.m. Brett Scott, conductor. Emma Griffin, director. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon, Feb. 16. Visit the CCM box office, or call (513) 556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.
“Schütz at Knox.” Knox Presbyterian Church, Hyde Park. Feb. 22, 11 a.m. Included on this traditional Sunday service will be selections from Geistliche Chormusik (1648) and Symphoniae Sacrae III (1650) for soloists, choir, and instruments by Heinrich Schütz.
Keyboard Masterworks. Christ Church Cathedral, downtown. Feb. 24, 12 p.m. Upper-level CCM keyboard students from Dr. Michael Unger’s studio will perform works for harpsichord and organ, including music by J.S. Bach, on Christ Church’s freshly restored 18th-century-style harpsichord and Baroque chamber organ. Free.
Cincinnati Chamber Opera. Handel, “Ariodante.” Ascension and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Wyoming. Feb. 27, 7 p.m. March 1, 2 p.m. Admission is $20, $17 for students. Call (513) 580-4440.
CCM Opera d’arte. Handel, “Alcina.” Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM. Feb 27, 8 p.m. Feb. 28, 8 p.m. March 1, 2 p.m. Brett Scott, conductor, Kenneth Shaw, director, Amy Johnson, producer. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon, Feb. 23. Visit the CCM box office or call (513) 556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.
Catacoustic Consort. “My Heart is Prepared.” St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Terrace Park. Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m. Candle-lit concert, with music by 18th-century French composer Jean-Joseph de Mondonville, for soprano, harpsichord, and pardessus, featuring Toronto-based soprano, Shannon Mercer. Admission is $25, $10 for students.
For further information, visit www.catacoustic.com/festival