Under the title Kaleidoscopethe London Festival of Baroque Music 2023 (LFBM) will be held in St John’s Smith Square from Friday the 12th to Saturday the 20th of May 2023 exploring the beauty of the Baroque in all its shapes and sizes. And with artistic talents from Spain, France and the United Kingdom.
The Festival includes everything from a baroque cabaret to intimate solo performances, going through a harpsichord master class with Steven Devine, as well as the contrasting programming of ‘Le Concert de L’Hostel Dieu’ and the bells of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
The highlights of Spain are presented within the framework of the program Beyond the Spanish Golden Agein charge of Cervantes InstituteNational Center for Music Broadcasting (CNDM), INAEM, Ministry of Culture and Sport of Spain, Embassy of Spain in London and funding from the European Union – Next Generation.eu.
Program of the London Festival of Baroque Music
The Festival will begin with ‘La Grande Chapelle’, a vocal and instrumental group whose main objective is to revive the great Spanish vocal works. This will be followed by a concert by ‘Concerto 1700’, founded in 2015 by the charismatic violinist Daniel Piteño and that it was born with the intention of interpreting works ranging from the early years of the Baroque to the first glimpses of Romanticism in a historically informed way.
Later, Jose Miguel Morenoknown as one of the greatest specialists in his field, will present a Spanish guitar program between 1500 and 1700 with vihuela and baroque guitar. Moreno specializes in the interpretation of historical music, with a wide repertoire of pieces from the 16th century to early 20th century.
Later in the Festival, ‘L’Apotheose’ will offer a sample of the sacred and secular music that filled the halls of the Royal Court of Madrid between 1720 and 1750, and Raquel Andueza and La Galanía will highlight various reconstructions of lost typical Spanish dances u forgotten, as well as their melodies.
Exclusively for the Festival, St Johns Smith Square will host a baroque cabaret. The cabaret will be an exciting opportunity to listen to the chamber groups of the Southbank Sinfoniadirected by the Orchestra of the Century of Lights in a cabaret atmosphere, with cheese and wine served at your table for a perfect night.
The Festival continues with the internationally renowned Franco-British ensemble ‘Le Concert De L’Hostel Dieu’, which defines itself as half baroque, half contemporary. The concert blends baroque and contemporary, showing the freedom of baroque music and the sound richness of its instruments.
‘The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’ will take the public on a musical journey through the shapes, colors and timbres of their favorite baroque composers, with baroque music performed by one of the best period instrument orchestras in the world.
The Festival will close with a series of sessions ‘Meet the Harpsichord ‘with the English conductor and specialist in historical keyboards, Steven Devine.
Additionally, on Saturday morning, Devine will lead an open Harpsichord Masterclass with students from UK’s leading conservatories. With a range of historic keyboards to try, this session is the perfect opportunity to expand your musical knowledge.
Spanning ten days, this exciting Festival promises to be a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in new and familiar Baroque music.
Tickets can be purchased from £10 online or by calling 02072221061. For more information, visit the official website.
