Review: A LITTLE NIGHT OF BAROQUE: THE PHILHARMONIC AT THE LIBRARY: MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE at Qatar National Library

A Little Night of Baroque

Baroque Music had its glorified era approximately around 1600 to 1750s including many of the greatest composers such as; 'Johann Sebastian Bach, Nicola Matteis, Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, Claudio Monteverdi, Giovanni Gabrieli'...

The era took start with the experimental approach styles in Opera and ended with the dead of Bach, changing the understanding of the music for forever.

During the era of Baroque; the main idea was improvising during the creation of tonality. The era where music meets with the word 'Contrast'. Leaving the old habits of following polyphonic melodies behind; Baroque music, created sequence in the harmonies along with the new rhythms. The sound of bass combined with the medieval dance music and aroused as the Baroque music. The music was experimental and enlightening; elaborating musical ornamentations, changing musical notations and expending the range and complexity of the instrumental performances in the mean time. Even though, under the circumstances of the age, Baroque was created to please Aristocrats. The basic form was the dance suite maybe, still the music was composed to be listened and not to accompany the dancers.

Between the columns of the post-modern designed Qatar National Library which stands as a source of each era; Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra members, Doha Baroque Ensemble, filled the moments with angelic Baroque music.

Doha Baroque Ensemble includes extremely talented names; Ines Wein, concertmaster Tobias Gette, Angelika Bunke, Kahraman Seref, Harald Georgi, Radovan Hetsch, Nicole Preβler, Daniel Edelhoff, Dimo Pishtyalov, Andras Palfry, Alexander Kamenarov and Julie Sgarro.

According to Jean Jacques Rousseau; 'Baroque music was a combination of perplexed harmony filled with complicated modulations and incompatible notations which is resulted into an extremely challenging music style.'

The decadence, contrast and freedom within the music was explored and served to the audience gently. The performance accompanied by the photographs of the paintings from Baroque era was nothing but undeniably magical. The ensemble has accomplished to examine each string of the heart of Baroque both as individually and as a whole.

The playlist included some of the greatest works of magnificent minds of the era such as; Johann Hermann Schein: Suite No. 16 from Banchetto musicale, Nicola Matteis (ca. 1650-after 1714): Suite in A Major for two violins and continuo from Ayres for the violin, Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite No. 2 in B Minor for orchestra, BWV 1067 Giovanni Gabrieli, Canzon Primi Toni a 8.

The next performance will be held on Saturday,12 May, 2018 at Qatar National Library as Philharmonic at The Library: Music of The Movies. The performance and the atmosphere is a must-be-seen.

To post a comment, you must register and login.