HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY CELEBRATES THE MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH A BAROQUE CHRISTMAS
December 13 and 16, 2018 at NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston
[Boston, MA – November 12, 2018] Celebrating the magic and joy of the holiday season, the Handel and Haydn Society will perform celebrated compositions of Vivaldi, Bach, Corelli, and others in A Baroque Christmas on Thursday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 16 at 3:00 p.m. All performances will take place at NEC’s Jordan Hall in Boston.
“It’s nearly impossible to listen to the magical compositions of the Baroque masters and not be inspired during the holiday season,” said David Snead, President and CEO of the Handel and Haydn Society. “Ian Watson and Aisslinn Nosky bring these pieces to life, creating a fresh, masterful performance that cannot be matched. It’s a perfect way to reconnect to the spirit of the season.”
H+H will perform Vivaldi’s “Winter” from The Four Seasons, one of the most well-known Baroque pieces, celebrating the power of nature while evoking visions of snowfall, winter rain, and the warm home hearth. The program will include Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8, Christmas Concerto and A. Scarlatti’s Cantata pastorale per la nativita di nostro Signore Gesu Cristo (Christmas Cantata) along with the Handel and Haydn Society premieres of Graupner’s Overture in D Major, GWV 424, Christmas along with Dall’ Abaco’s Sinfonia in D Major, Op. 6, No. 12 and J.S. Bach’s Cantata 51, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen (Exult God in Every Land).
A Baroque Christmas will be directed by the multi-talented Ian Watson, the Artistic Director of Arcadia Players Period-Instrument Orchestra, Music Director of the Connecticut Early Music Festival, and Associate Conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society. Watson will be joined by highly-acclaimed Boston-native soprano Amanda Forsythe, Handel and Haydn Society Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky on the violin, the H+H Orchestra, and the H+H Vocal Arts Program Concert Choir.
“Using historically informed techniques and instruments from the composer’s period, the Handel and Haydn Society will deliver a performance as close as possible to the original intention of the composers,” continued Snead. “It promises to be an exceptional evening.”
2018-19 Season subscriptions are on sale now. Tickets for individual performances may be purchased by calling 617.266.3605, visiting handelandhaydn.org, or in person at 9 Harcourt Street in Boston (M-F 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.). Student and group discounts are also available.
H+H’s 2018–19 Season Performances include:
Handel Messiah November 30 Symphony Hall
December 1 + 2 Symphony Hall
A Baroque Christmas December 13 + 16 NEC’s Jordan Hall
Mozart + Haydn January 25 + 27 Symphony Hall
Glories of the Italian Baroque February 22 + 24 NEC’s Jordan Hall
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 March 8 + 10 Symphony Hall
Purcell Dido and Aeneas March 29 + 31 NEC’s Jordan Hall
Mozart Requiem May 3 + 5 Symphony Hall
About the Handel and Haydn Society
The Handel and Haydn Society is internationally acclaimed for its performances of Baroque and Classical music. Based in Boston, H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 50,000 listeners each year with a nine concert subscription series at Symphony Hall and other leading venues, in addition to a robust program of intimate events in museums, schools, and community centers. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Harry Christophers, the ensemble embraces historically informed performance, bringing classical music to life with the same immediacy it had the day it was written. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program, H+H also provides engaging, accessible, and broadly inclusive music education to thousands of children each year. Founded in Boston in 1815, H+H is among the oldest continuously performing classical music ensembles in the United States, and is unique for its longevity, capacity for reinvention, and distinguished history of premieres. For more information, visit handelandhaydn.org.
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