RICHARD LALLI SINGS DIE SCHÖNE MÜLLERIN • SEPTEMBER 30,2007, 3:30 PM
Richard Lalli, baritone, Michael Bahmann, fortepiano
Acclaimed baritone Richard Lalli, with Rhode Island’s own Michael Bahmann on fortepiano, will present Schubert’s beloved song cycle Die Schöne Müllerin. Grove Music says, “Schubert invested every stylistic aspect of the lied with a richness that, dramatically speaking, rivalled and even surpassed opera.” Mr. Lalli’s rich, lyric voice and expressive capabilities are famous around the world; this performance will be a must-hear event of the season.

BACH FOR TWO •  NOVEMBER 4, 2007, 3:30 PM
Dana Maiben, violin; Arthur Haas, harpsichord
These two renowned musicians began their collaboration in this repertory while both taught at the Eastman School of Music in the 1980s. Miss Maiben, Music Director of Foundling, is well known for her interpretations of 17th century music, and Mr. Haas,  top prize in the 1975 Paris harpsichord competition, is a widely acclaimed performer and teacher. The two will perform some of J. S. Bach’s most intimate masterpieces, including three of his sonatas for violin and harpsichord obbligato, the first works to bring the harpsichord out from its continuo function into full light as an equal soloist with the violin. C. P. E. Bach said the pieces “are amongst the finest works of my dearly beloved father. They still sound excellent and give me great pleasure, although they are over 50 years old. There are several Adagios in them which even nowadays could not be set in a more singing style.”

MY LORD CHAMBERLAIN’S CONSORT  • DECEMBER 16, 2007, 3:30 PM
“To Drive the Cold Winter Away” Philip Anderson, tenor; Drew Minter, countertenor and harp; Patricia Neely, viol and vielle; Pat O'Brien, lute and cittern; Andy Rutherford, lute; Marcia Young, soprano and harp
My Lord Chamberlain's Consort celebrates the warmth and beauty of the Winter Solstice with four centuries of seasonal song from the courts of England. Medieval carols of praise and prayer, instrumental dances, and secular songs of revelry and fellowship from the Renaissance courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, all arranged for lute, harp, viol, cittern, and voices. The Los Angeles Times said of the ensemble, "Uplifting in every sense. . . .[these] musicians put together a tight, engrossing program and performed it compellingly. The performers were uniformly expert. . . . their solos engaged, their ensembles pleased." Click for more information about the ensemble.

QUINCE, a string band•  JANUARY 27, 3:30 PM
“Fit for Two Kings” An extravaganza of music, scenes, and images for strings and voices from the courts of
Louis XIII and XIV.
Dana Maiben, Andrew Fouts, Martha Perry, violin and viola; Peter Kupfer, viola; Margaret Cushing, cello;
with Pamela Murray, soprano, James Ruff, haute-contre, Ryan Turner, tenor, Jacob Cooper, bass

Quince is a brand-new 5-part string band (the predecessor of the modern string quartet) devoted to the delightful and varied repertory written for 5 string players, usually including 3 violas, for a particularly rich and moving sound. This concert will include works from the French courts of Louis XIII and Louis XIV: music from Lully’s first ballet, Les Saisons, the first truly French work by this Italian music master (written with a little help from his French father in law!), and dances written by Beauchamp, Lully’s predecessor. Topping off the performance will be Charpentier’s music for Molière’s Le Mariage Forcé, a strange, wonderful, and hilarious piece for strings and voices.

REPAST • FEBRUARY 24, 2008, 3:30 PM
“The Apotheosis of Corelli: Musical Tributes to a Great Master” Amelia Roosevelt, baroque violin; Charles Weaver, baroque guitar and theorbo; Keri Mikkelson, harpsichord;with guests Claire Jolivet, baroque violin; and John Mark Rozendaal, baroque cello
Arcangelo Corelli’s fame went well beyond his violin playing: his trio and violin sonatas influenced succeeding generations of composers across Europe. Hailed by The New York Times for their “energy and clarity” and “robust” playing, Repast brings Corelli’s music together with some of the works he inspired. The program features works by Telemann and Corelli, and concludes with Couperin’s monumental trio sonata, “The Apotheosis of Corelli.” Founded in New York City in 2003, Repast was a finalist in the Early Music America/Naxos Recording Competition that same year.