The Pleasure Garden (CH)
Maruša Brezavšček (SI): recorder
Andreas Böhlen: recorder
Amélie Chemin: viola da gamba
Niels Pfeffer: lute, theorbo
Ticket order:
English Musical Treasures from Dowland to Purcell takes listeners on a musical journey through the golden age of English music, from the late Renaissance to the early Baroque. The programme features the expressive melodies of John Dowland, also heard in virtuosic adaptations by Jacob van Eyck and Johann Schop. An intimate fantasia by John Jenkins and a refined suite by Matthew Locke reveal the richness of chamber music at the English court, while pieces from The English Dancing Master by John Playford bring a touch of popular vitality with their lively dance tunes. At its heart stand John Dowland and Henry Purcell, two of the greatest English composers of the 16th and 17th centuries. A variety of ensembles – from solo works to chamber dialogues between two recorders, lute and viola da gamba – create a rich soundscape, transporting listeners into the atmosphere of the courts, salons and gardens of 17th-century England.
Event programme
English Delights
From Dowland to Purcell
This programme offers a fresh and research-based perspective on the rich landscape of English music from the late Renaissance to the early Baroque. By combining canonical works of Dowland, Jenkins, Locke and Purcell with virtuoso diminutions by Jacob van Eyck and Johann Schop, it highlights the interconnected musical cultures of England and continental Europe. The selection brings forward the specificity of English consort and chamber idioms – fantasias, ayres, grounds, and dance forms – while illuminating how these genres were adapted, ornamented, and reimagined across borders.
The programme also introduces new artistic content through historically informed performance practices, including the use of period instruments (recorders, viola da gamba, lute) and historically grounded ornamentation based on primary sources. The dialogue between soloistic and chamber settings enables a refined exploration of English expressive aesthetics, from intimate melancholy to theatrical brilliance. Additionally, the inclusion of Playford dances connects courtly sophistication with vernacular musical traditions, offering a culturally holistic perspective. Through this curated and research-driven approach, the programme not only preserves but revitalizes English musical heritage for contemporary audiences.
Henry Purcell (1659–1695):
Sonata (Z.795)
Henry Purcell (1659–1695):
Sonata No. 7 (Z.808)
Henry Purcell (1659–1695):
Two upon a Ground (Z.627)
(Dioclesian)
John Jenkins (1592–1678):
Fancy 2 (VdGS No. 2)
(21 Fancies, in 3 parts for Viols)
John Dowland (ca.1563–1626):
Pavana Lachrimae
(The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres, 1600)
Jacob van Eyck (ca.1590–1657):
Pavana Lachrimae
(Der Fluyten Lust-Hof, 1644)
Johann Schop (ca.1590–1667):
Lachrimae
John Dowland (ca. 1563–1626):
Can She Excuse My Wrongs
Matthew Locke (ca.1621–1677):
Set 2
(The Second Part of the Broken Consort, Containing severall excellent Fantazies, Ayres, Corants and Sarabands, for Two Trebles and a Basse, Composed by Matthew Locke. London, 1672)
John Playford (1623–1686):
All in a Garden Green
(The English Dancing Master)
John Playford (1623–1686):
Merry, Merry Milkmaids
Celje, Narodni dom
The neo-renaissance building of the Narodni dom (literally the Nation's Home) lines a part of the Trg celjskih knezov (The Counts of Celje Square). It was built in 1895-1896 according to the plans of the Czech architect Vladimir Hrasky. During the time of the old Austria, the Celje National House was the cultural and social center of the citizens of Celje, and today it houses the premises of the Municipality of Celje and the Administrative Unit of Celje.