IDYLL – Pastoral works by Charpentier (Event 2 – 2026 Winter Baroque Season)

Exploring idyllic settings from a late 17th-century perspective, singers of Lutesong Consort (www.lutesong.co.za), and period instrumentalists of the Cape Town Baroque Orchestra, under the musical direction of Erik Dippenaar, present four works for solo voices and instruments by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704). Likely intended for performance in aristocratic salons and private circles, these works evoke an idealised landscape of shepherds, shepherdesses and courtly romance. In contrast to many of his French contemporaries, Charpentier composed several vocal works in Italian, perhaps reflecting both the tastes of his patrons and his own engagement with Italian music.

The three Italian works on the programme, namely Serenata a tre voci, H.472, Amor vince, H.492 and Cupido perfido, H.493, illustrate his assimilation of Italian stylistic features within a French compositional idiom, resulting in music that is direct in expression yet no less affecting. These works are contrasted with the Idylle sur le retour de la santé du Roi, H.489, a more ornate example of his distinctively French style.

With:
Lutesong Consort
Elsabé Richter, Vasti Zeeman-Knoesen (sopranos)
Lente Louw (mezzo-soprano, Artistic Director: Lutesong Consort)
Willem Bester and Van Wyk Venter (alto/tenor)
Keaton Manwaring (bass)

Cape Town Baroque Orchestra
Annien Shaw and Ralitza Macheva (baroque violins)
Rosamund Roth (viola da gamba)
Uwe Grosser (lute, chitarrone, baroque guitar)
Dale de Windt (chamber organ)
Erik Dippenaar (harpsichord, musical direction)

Please join us for a complimentary glass of wine after the concert!

Enquiries can be directed to [email protected].

BOOK HERE

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Watch Lutesong Consort and the Cape Town Baroque Orchestra performing together, recorder at the South African Slave Church Museum in February 2022:

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This is Event 2 in our 2026 Winter Baroque Season. You can learn more about the other events in the season here:

Event 1 – Bach in Dialogue – a programme of chamber works by J.S. Bach (1685-1750), performed by Annien Shaw (baroque violin), Rosamund Roth (viola da gamba), and Leon Schelhase (harpsichord) – Wednesday, 10 June 2026, 19:00 – St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

Event 3 – Wilhelmine, Sebastian, Élizabeth, and George – an orchestral concert with soloists William Berger (baritone), Ingo Müller (baroque oboe), and Erik Dippenaar (harpsichord/director) – Thursday, 30 July 2026, 19:00 – St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

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The 2026 Winter Baroque Season is generously supported by the Rupert Musiekstigting.