In this richly varied Christmas program, B’Rock follows the star of the Baroque across Europe. First stop: Corelli’s Italy, with the iconic eighth concerto grosso from Opus 6, subtitled ‘for Christmas Eve’. In the concluding Pastorale, you can hear the buzzing bagpipes of the shepherds in the field.
A similar effect can be heard in Alessandro Scarlatti’s O di Betlemme altera. The glowing arias and recitatives of this moving Christmas cantata are perfectly suited to soprano Elisabeth Hetherington – as is the virtuoso solo part in Handel’s Gloria, a recently rediscovered composition from his earliest Italian years.
After a journey through Purcell’s England, our trip leads to France, where Charpentier and Delalande transformed traditional Christmas carols into instrumental examples of pastoral beauty. B’Rock reaches a blissful serenity in 20th-century Estonia, with the subtle suggestion of bells ringing in Arvo Pärt’s enchanting Fratres.
Christmas Cheer
