Amore Divino

The opening concert of the 23^rd edition of the Baroque Soirées is dedicated to composers of great renown, in particular Georg Philipp Telemann, one of the most prolific composers not only of the Baroque era; he incorporated various musical genres and forms in his works and also experimented with national styles. His rich career culminated in Hamburg as music director of five major churches, and, for a time, also as director of the Hamburg Opera. All of the composers included in this programme were connected to the Hamburg Opera in some way during their careers. From the master of unmistakable melodies, George Frideric Handel, to his contemporary, the turbulent Reinhard Keiser, and Christoph Graupner, who was briefly harpsichordist in the local orchestra and also contributed a few pieces to its repertoire. The concert programme will introduce us to their work, which, although inspired by opera, was intended for the church and concert stage. The soprano Elionor Martinez Lara and the Collegium Marianum ensemble with Jana Semerádová will perform bravura arias and cantatas by true masters of Baroque music. And we will also encounter Turks and Portuguese, as Telemann himself imagined their national musical styles...