Category Archives: Composers
Missed the Philharmonia Baroque on the BBC – listen online!
“[T]he program was as fresh and exciting as it had been when I first heard it,” writes the Examiner.com’s Stephen...
Rarely Performed Quartets by Quantz and Telemann
Venue: San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Stephen Schultz, flute Lisa Weiss, violin Katherin Kyme, viola William Skeen, cello Charles Sherman,...
Viva Vivaldi!
January 23, 2010 Venue: San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Cynthia Miller Freivogel, violin Carla Moore, violin William Skeen, cello David...
Contemplating Messiah
It's an honor to write on Messiah. Being one of a multitude of writers to take on Handel's perennial hit doesn't dilute the privilege one bit; if anything, it enhances the experience.
November Program Notes: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 11 in B-flat Major In an era of harried composers whose livelihoods...
Also posted in 30th Season, About Early Music, Audience Development, Concerts, Education, History, Program Notes | Tagged Vivaldi Program Notes | 1 Comment
Baroque Masters: Rameau and Bach
Did you miss this past weekend’s Radio Broadcast Series on 102.1 FM KDFC with host Nicholas McGegan? Don’t worry, you can...
Also posted in 30th Season, About Early Music, Audience Development, Concerts, Listen to Music, Nicholas McGegan, PBO Community | Tagged concerts, KDFC, radio | Leave a comment
October Program Notes: Bach’s Wedding Cantata
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066 It’s worth remembering that the Baroque era (1600–1750)...
September Concert Prelude: “The Demonic in Mozart”
Anthony Martin, violin and viola, joins us to pose the question “what’s so special about D minor?” The Piano Concerto...
Also posted in 30th Season, About Early Music, Concerts, Education, Orchestra Musicians, PBO Community | Leave a comment
Nic on September’s “Robert Levin plays Mozart” Concerts
Here it is, the first of this season’s “Nic Notes,” where our Music Director discusses the upcoming concert in his...
September Program Notes: Robert Levin plays Mozart
Mozart: Incidental Music to Thamos, King of Egypt, K. 345/366a The story of Thamos, Mozart’s sole foray into incidental stage...
Also posted in 30th Season, About Early Music, About Period Instruments, Concerts, Guest Artist, History, Program Notes | 1 Comment
Soccer: Baroque? Classical? Romantic?
Do you have soccer (ahem… football) fever like many of us in the office? Maybe you can answer this bit...
Closing out 20 years: Nic and the Göttingen International Handel Festival
Today, our Music Director Nic (right) conducted the final performance of the Göttingen International Handel Festival – the dark opera...
Also posted in About Early Music, Classical Music Industry, Early Music Events, Nicholas McGegan, PBO Community | Leave a comment
An influential afterlife: Exploring Orlando Furioso Part 3
Michael Wyatt joins us for the final post on Orlando furioso (read Parts 1 & 2): A mere summary does...
Into the crazy world of Orlando: From our Handel expert (and Music Director) Nic McGegan
Nicholas McGegan joins us again to let us know what’s so special about George Frideric Handel’s opera Orlando, which the...
Nic on performing Brahms: Pt. 5
Nic is back for his final post! Want to learn more about performing Brahms on period instruments? Listen to our...
Nic on performing Brahms: Pt. 4
Nic continues his post about the style that the orchestra will perform Brahms in this week: Tempo – Brahms was...
Nic on performing Brahms: Pt. 3
So we now know about how Nic researched contemporary performances of Brahms’ work and we also know a little about...
Nic on performing Brahms: Pt. 2
We don’t know if you saw it, but Jonathan Rhodes Lee wrote a great preview of February’s concert on San...
Nic on performing Brahms: Part 1
We are excited to post Music Director Nic McGegan‘s first blog entry for A415 today! This is the first of...
Beethoven’s 4th Program Notes