The richness of five-part instrumental writing was not new to the 18th century: German, Italian and French composers had all been exploiting this sonority for decades. But it was Georg Muffatt, born in Savoy of Scottish parentage, who for the first time aimed to reconcile these styles into a single genre. His music, remarkable in […]
From the intractable swell of the opening chorus to the profound solemnity of the last, its tone one of quiet resignation, the Matthew Passion is a work with the power to move us like no other. Bach conceived it on a grand scale, allowing for double chorus and double orchestra, and the themes it explores […]
This autumn, we return to Dunedin’s roots to present another series of performances given by our a cappella consort. Directed by Nicholas Mulroy, one of Dunedin’s core singers, the programme is centred around sixteenth-century Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria’s hauntingly beautiful Requiem, and includes music by his contemporaries Alonso Lobo and Orlando Gibbons. Works […]
What kind of world do we want to live in? And how will our choices be judged by future generations? As today's climate emergency becomes increasingly urgent, we explore music’s relationship with nature and look at how the arts can be a powerful tool in influencing societal change. Under the guest direction of the esteemed […]
Two tales of love — both tragedies in their own ways — are brought together in this coupling of baroque cantatas. From a woman so lovestruck that she can only find solace in nature, as in Bella madre de’ fiori, to the tragic tale of Daphne, who tries and fails to resist Apollo’s advances and […]
