Estimated duration

2 h, incl. intermission

Organizer

Radion sinfoniaorkesteri

Richard Egarr, conductor
Rowan Pearce, soprano

Henry Purcell (arr. Richard Egarr): Fairy Queen Suite
George Frideric Handel: Concerto Grosso No. 7 in B-flat Major Op. 6
George Frideric Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks

Late-Night Chamber Music:
Jouko Laivuori, piano
Maria Puusaari, violin
Mikko Ivars, cello
Sauli Zinovjev: a love song

Henry Purcell’s semi-opera The Fairy Queen is roughly based on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and has some of Purcell’s finest music for the stage. The concertos by George Friderich Handel take the form of the concerto grosso after the model of Couperin. Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks was one of the items celebrating the peace treaty ending the War of the Austrian Succession in 1749. Unfortunately, careless handling of the rockets resulted in fires and brawls and the peace was short-lived. This has not, however taxed the popularity of the music.