Masters of the Baroque

This evening's programme includes works by Baroque masters from the 17th and 18th centuries. Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Lully was court composer to Louis XIV and played a leading role in the evolution of French Baroque opera. His collaboration with the playwright Molière resulted in the comic ballet Le Bourgeois gentilhomme in 1670, selections from which are included in tonight's programme. The concert also includes two movements from the ballet Les Indes galantes, by Lully's successor, Jean-Philippe Rameau.

J.S. Bach's orchestral suites are some of the most beloved pieces in the literature. Georg Philipp Telemann was very largely self-taught but became one of Germany's most admired 18th-century composers. Even today, he remains one of the most prolific composers ever to put pen to paper. He wrote the Alster Echo Suite in 1725, soon after moving to Hamburg, where he served as musical director for several decades. This light, entertaining piece is a sketch of life on the banks of the river Alster, which runs through Hamburg.

Russian conductor Maxim Emelyanychev has gained an international reputation in recent years, not least for his interesting interpretation of Baroque music. Educated in Moscow, where he studied conducting with the late Gennady Rozhdestvensky, he is also an award-winning harpsichordist. For several years, Emelyanychev has served as Chief Conductor of the Italian Baroque ensemble Il Pomo d'Oro, which has performed Baroque operas in Versailles, Vienna, and London. His most recent CD is a collaboration with American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. It was recently announced that Emelyanychev will take up the post of Principal Conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in September 2019.