Sinfonia Spirituosa to Make Bay Area Debut

The members of Sinfonia Spirituosa (from the Facebook Events Web page for this concert)

Sinfonia Spirituosa is a chamber orchestra dedicated to presenting bold, historically-informed performances on period instruments. The ensemble gave its debut concert in Sacramento in April of last year and is now in its first full season. While the group is based in Sacramento, performers come from both Northern and Southern California, Washington, Colorado, and even New York. The leader is Artistic Director Lorna Peters, and the Concertmaster is Jubal Fulks. The group takes its name from the title of a chamber music composition by Georg Philipp Telemann, TWV 44:1. That piece was scored for two violins, viola, and continuo with an ad libitum part for trumpet.

At the beginning of next month, the ensemble will make its Bay Area debut. It will perform with its full complement of eleven strings, flute, bassoon, theorbo, guitar, baroque guitar, and harpsichord, all period instruments. As might be guessed, the program will include the group’s namesake composition, as well as Telemann’s TWV 51:D2 flute concerto in D major with the group’s flutist, Cathie Apple, as soloist. The program will also include instrumental movements from theatre music composed by both Henry Purcell and Jean-Philippe Rameau. Bass Daniel Yoder will appear as guest soloist in vocal selections by both of these composers, the “Cold Song” from Purcell’s King Arthur and the aria “Monstre affeux” from Rameau’s Dardanus. Concertmaster Fulks will present the oldest work on the program, the “La Melana” violin sonata, the third in the Opus 3 collection of six sonatas by Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli. There will also be selections from the Charles Avison concerto grosso arrangements of keyboard compositions by Domenico Scarlatti.

This concert will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 2. The venue will be the Recital Hall of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, located at 50 Oak Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street. The building is a short walk from the Van Ness Muni station. General admission will be $20 with a $10 rate for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased in advance online through a Brown Paper Tickets event page. Only cash will be excepted for payments at the door.