ON TOUR
APOLLO’S FIRE | The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra
Jeannette Sorrell, director/harpsichord
Program: Brandenburgs no. 4 & 5, Telemann’s Don Quixote Suite, Handel’s Terpsichore Chaconne, and Sorrell’s acclaimed arrangement of Vivaldi’s La Folia (“Madness”) which the group performs from memory.
Presenters may also choose the alternate program (all Bach), or a combination of the two programs.
BACH Brandenburg no. 5 – at Tanglewood
BACH Brandenburg no. 4
VIVALDI/arr. Sorrell La Folia (“Madness”) – at Tanglewood
ENCORE: Appalachian Fiddle Tune – at Tanglewood
“Apollo’s Fire has forged a vibrant, life-affirming approach to the re-making of early music… European ears have begun to appreciate the blend of intellect and artistry concocted by harpsichordist Sorrell and her colleagues. Their seductive vision of musical authenticity is guided by a shared commitment to honest emotional expression, rooted in period style yet never its slave.”
BBC Music Magazine
“Visually charged, minutely stage-managed musical theatrics from Jeannette Sorrell and her irrepressible team of musicians… Utterly sensational, every phrase a Baroque curlicue dipped in gold and then embellished still further. Charismatic and boundlessly energetic… this is Baroque music in its unbuttoned state.”
TheArtsDesk.com, London
“Under the inspired direction of Jeannette Sorrell, Apollo’s Fire has become one of the pre-eminent period-instrument ensembles, causing one to hear familiar baroque material anew.”
The Independent, London
“Apollo’s Fire is one of the brightest lights of period-instrument playing in the United States… arguably the most distinctive in sound and memorable in style. Its trademark qualities: expressive subtlety, exuberance and passion.”
Classical Music Magazine, London
“This swaggering version… makes the most of the variety of instrumental colour Bach so exhilaratingly put on show. Two harpsichord concertos BWV 1052 and 1056 [are] both brilliantly played, as is the keyboard part in the Fifth Brandenburg, by Sorrell.”
The Sunday Times, London (reviews of Bach Concertos CD)
“These excellent young musicians take a highly gestural approach to phrasing and bring across their music with an exuberant musicality, like wind through a forest. Easily one of the most enjoyable concerts of the season.”
The Boston Globe