Musica Antiqua Cologne

Monday, October 16, 2006     Dom Pedro V Theatre     200

Reinhard Gœbel, Violin and Conductor
Margret Baumgartl, Violin
Karlheinz Steeb, Viola
Klaus Dieter Brandt, Cello
Léon Berben, Cembalo

Programme:
Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654)
Pavane in A major (1624)

Johann Philipp Krieger (1649–1725)
Sonata in F major

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)
Quartet in B-flat major, TWV 43:B2

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1756)
Quatuor in G major, op. 5, no. 4

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Overture no. 5 in G minor, BWV 1070

All roads seem to lead toward Halle on the program of the renowned ensemble Musica Antiqua Köln. This German city, in the region of Saxony, saw the births of Scheidt and one hundred years later of Händel, who would meet and begin a lasting friendship with Telemann there. Krieger, the lesser known of these Baroque masters, also made Halle his home. An aura of mystery lingers then around the final piece on the program, since Bach never visited Halle. But experts now question his authorship of the Overture, so perhaps this band from Cologne, known for their rigour and musicological insight, will unravel this enigma for their audience in Macao.

“[They] infuse the music with a fierce vitality to match their virtuosity” - The New York Times

Duration: approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, including one interval