Event programme

Francesco Gasparini (1661-1727):
Caro augelletto
from: L’Oraculo de Fato
(Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Wien)

Henry Purcell (1659-1695):
Two in one upon a ground
from: The Prophetess or The History of Dioclesian
(The British Library, London)

Carlo Agostino Badia (1672-1738):
Augellin vago
(Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Wien)

Santiago de Murcia (1673-1739)
El Amor
(Códice Saldívar, León, Mexico)

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759):
Nò se emenderá jamás (HWV 140)
(Bibliotheca Bodmeriana, Köln/Genève)

Nicola Matteis (1650-1714):
The false Consonances of Music
(Glasgow University Library)

Johann Christoph Pepusch (1667-1752):
When love’s soft passion
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, München)

*******

Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725):
Più non m’alletta
from: Venere e Adone
(Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz)

Daniel Purcell (1664-1717)
Sonata Sola Flutto called the Cuckoo
Vivace / Presto
(Library of Congress, Washington)

Gottfried Finger (1655/6-1730)
A Ground. Adagio
from: 40 Airs Anglois pour la Flute á un Dessus & une Basse
(Conservatoire Royal, Bruxelles)

Santiago de Murcia (1673-1739)
La Bacante
(Códice Saldívar, León, Mexico)

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759):
Süße Stille, sanfte Quelle (HWV 205)
from: Deutsche Arien
(The British Library, London)

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759):
Sinfonia 
from: Saul
(London, The British Library)

Anonymus:
Partita (ca. 1700)
Gavotte / Menuett / Gigué
(Österreichisches Nationalbibliothek, Wien)

Anonymus:
When Daphne fair from Phoebus did fly

About the project and the concert programme

When the young Georg Friedrich Händel came to Italy he got to know the most famous Italian composers of this time. He must have been impressed by the high quality of musical performances, the high virtuosity of the musicians and the high value given to music by the cardinals Ottoboni and Pamphilj. No wonder he established connections with the Accademia del'arcadia and gained a proper foothold in this circle. On his way back to Germany Georg Friedrich Händel made a stop at Innsbruck in February 1710 and it stands to reason, that he got to know Gottfried Finger and Jakob Greber, two famous composers who came from England to Tyrol some years before in the entourage of the governor Karl III. Philipp von der Pfalz-Neuburg. This visit in Innsbruck gave us reason to form a programme where Arcadian elements merge with English taste. These connections between Italian and England will accompany Händel for the rest of his live.

In our programme we will refer to the four elements shown in the frescoes of the Knight’s hall. The element Air for example will be shown by a piece composed by Carlo Agostino Badia. The manuscript of "Augellin vago" is located in the Vienna National library and we edited it for our ensemble. The element soil will be shown by a ground composed by Gottfried Finger. A ground is a piece with a recurring bass line and variations of a higher instrument. Corresponding to the element of water we will perform one of the German Arias "Süße Stille, sanfte Quelle", written by Händel. The last element, the element of fire will be reinterpreted to the fire of love and presented with Johann Christoph Pepusch's Cantata "When love's soft passion".

Short instrumental pieces will give one more viewpoint to these very attractive frescoes. Our special program will lead you through the gallery of pictures shown in the Knight's hall of the castle. Every musical piece we play corresponds to one of the baroque frescos of the castle. As there are many pictures dealing with topics like nature, the four elements and mythology it’s not surprising to think of the litrary circle of the Accademia dell’ Arcadia. It was so called because it's principal intention was to reform the diction of Italian poetry under the inspiration of pastoral literature. It is not known by many people, that famous musicians like Arcangelo Corelli or Alessandro Scarlatti were members of this Academy and during his stay in Italy even the young Georg Friedrich Händel was a welcome guest at meetings in the beautiful gardens and palazzos belonging to Cardinale Pietro Ottoboni and Benedetto Pamphilj.

This love and longing for the purity of nature is audible: the gargling of the waves, the nightingale’s song or a simple bass melody which forms a ground to be ornamented by a higher voice. An entertaining evening full of virtuosic instrumental pieces and touching arias. The soprano voice will be accompanied by our instruments: lute, guitar, recorders, and harp.