08-07-2025
Freiburg Baroque Orchestra with soprano Carolyn Sampson
The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra perform Arias and instrumental works by Georg Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Henry Purcell, Georg Philipp Telemann, Jan Dismas Zelenka, and Francesco Durante. The concert is titled 'Madness' and the music in the program explores the concept of madness in the 1600 and 1700s, which allowed the composers of the time, both in vocal and instrumental music, to break the compositional conventions of their time and experiment with harsh harmonies, broken phrases, and disjointed coloraturas in the so-called 'Mad Scenes'.
The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra are joined by English soprano Carolyn Sampson OBE, a long time companion and friend of the orchestra and directed by Dutch violinist and Baroque specialist Hannah Visser who regularly appears as the concertmaster and soloist with the orchestra.
Program
Georg PhilippTelemann: Suite in G 'La Bizarre'
George Frideric Handel: "Ah, mio cor" from Act 2 of 'Alcina'
Henry Purcell: Curtain Tune, from 'The History of Timon of Athens'
Henry Purcell: Mad Bess of Bedlam
Francesco Durante: String Concerto No. 8 in A 'La Pazzia'
Jan Dismas Zelenka: Hipocondrie a 7 Concertanti
Antonio Vivaldi: Alma opressa, from 'La fida ninfa'
Antonio Vivaldi: Trio Sonata in D minor 'La Follia'
George Frideric Handel: "Where shall I fly?" from Act 3 of 'Hercules'
Henry Purcell: "If love's a sweet passion" from Act 1 of 'The Fairy Queen'
Artists
Carolyn Sampson (soprano)
Hannah Visser (violin and direction)
Freiburg Baroque Orchestra
Find out more
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