'Bohemian Baroque' is Adelaide Baroque's Second Orchestral Concert For 2021

Adelaide Baroque's second Orchestral Concert for 2021 is entitled Bohemian Baroque and explores the music of one of the greatest Bohemian musicians and composers of all time, Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745).

The concert will be performed on Saturday 22 May at 7.30pm in Elder Hall and features soloist Robert Macfarlane - tenor. Dr Jan Stockigt, acknowledged as the world's pre-eminent Zelenka scholar, and author of Jan Dismas Zelenka: A Bohemian Musician at the Court of Dresden, has curated the program and will give a preconcert talk at 6.30pm. This program is devoted entirely to the music of Zelenka and includes three Australian premieres.

Chair of Adelaide Baroque, Lynton Rivers said, 'Jan Dismas Zelenka is acknowledged as one of the greatest Bohemian musicians of all time and certainly an equal to other brilliant Czech composers such as Smetana and Dvorak. Most musicologists dealing with music of this early 18th century period agree that compositions of Zelenka are equal to those of contemporaries: J.S. Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. JS Bach was known to be personally acquainted with Zelenka: his son CPE Bach confirmed that Zelenka was 'esteemed highly' by his father.

His compositions feature advanced use of counterpoint, placing extreme demands on the musicians but also an unmistakable emphasis on beauty and liveliness. This program is devoted entirely to the music of Zelenka and includes three Australian premieres.'

Two renowned baroque oboists, Kirsten Barry and Adam Masters will be in Adelaide to perform one of Zelenka's notoriously complex, beautiful and brilliant sonatas for two oboes, bassoon and continuo. Adelaide Baroque's resident baroque bassoon virtuoso, Jackie Hansen will complete the wind trio for these sonatas.

The Adelaide Baroque Orchestra will be led Adelaide's Ben Dollman, who currently is also Violin Section Leader of Sydney's Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.

The concert program includes:

Sinfonia from the Serenata: Il Diamante - ZWV177
Sonata à 5 - ZWV181
Psalm setting: Laudate pueri Dominum - ZWV81
Hipocondrie à 7 concertanti - ZWV187
Motet for the Nativity: Dormi Deus incarnate - ZWV172
Motet: Gaude Laetare turba fidelis - ZWV168

Jan Dismas Zelenka was born in Louňovice pod Blaníkem in central Bohemia, and spent much of his life as a musician and composer in the brilliant Court of Dresden in northern Europe: the seat of the Saxon Electors and Kings of Poland, where the skilled court musicians were the envy of most other realms in Europe.

Tickets are $49 / Concession $39 including Seniors and may be purchased at www.trybooking.com/BODUU

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