March 11, 2021 

 

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)
Sonata in F major for violin, bassoon and basso continuo, TWV42:F1

Allegro
Soave
Presto


Baroque violin - Gary Ngan
巴羅克小提琴 - 顏嘉俊

Baroque Bassoon - Karen Yeung
巴羅克巴松管 - 楊嘉倫

Harpsichord (basso continuo) - Dr. Sonia Lee
古鍵琴 (數字低音)- 李敏琪博士


George Philippe Telemann was a prolific German Baroque composer who wrote more than 3,000 compositions using diverse European national styles. A self-taught composer, he originally studied law but later took up music as his profession. His instrumental works were very popular among both professional and amateur musicians both in his time and present days. He wrote for numerous instruments and self-taught himself to play the flute, oboe, recorder, violin, viola da gamba, and other instruments. The Sonata in F major, TWV42:F1 is from his six trio sonatas published in Frankfurt in 1718.

Program notes by Karen Yeung
 

March 18, 2021

 

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Musical Offerings, BWV 1079 (1747)

Ricercar a 3 
Ricercar a 6 


Harpsichord -  Kenneth Yeung
古鍵琴 - 楊奇峰


Johann Sebastian Bach’s Musical Offering, BWV 1079 (1747) is a cyclical, variegated work that assembles two keyboard fugues, a trio sonata and ten canons. All these seemingly heterogeneous components are indeed based on the one and same “royal theme,” which was deigned by King Friedrich II of Prussia in Potsdam when Bach attended the evening chamber music gathering and was asked to improvise on the spot. This program features the complementary three- and six-voice ricercars, the first of which reveals Bach’s consummate art of extemporaneous improvisation, and the second of which reveals his ingenious skill in writing contrapuntal, fugal music. 

Program notes by Kenneth Yeung
 

March 25, 2021

 

Giovanni Battista Sammartini (1700–1775) 
Concerto in C major for violoncello piccolo, strings and basso continuo 

(Keyboard reduction by Dr. Sonia Lee)
Allegro
Andante sempre piano
Allegro

 

Five-string violoncello piccolo - Dr. Ka-Wai Yu
五弦高音大提琴 - 余嘉維博士

Harpsichord (basso continuo) - Dr. Sonia Lee
古鍵琴(數字低音)- 李敏琪博士
 

Eighteenth-century Italian composer Giovanni Battista Sammartini was a leading figure in the development of the Classical style. He composed some of the earliest-dated symphonies prior to Haydn and Mozart. Concerto in C Major for Violoncello piccolo or Violin, strings and basso continuo is one of the first known concertos written for the violoncello piccolo. The manuscript comes from the Westdeutsche Bibliothek in Marburg, Germany and is mentioned in the Breitkopf Catalogue of 1762. Like Sammartini’s other works, this concerto has an intense rhythmic drive and continuity of structure in the outer movements, contrasted by a lyrical middle movement.

Program notes by Dr. Ka-Wai Yu
 

April 1, 2021

 

Partimento and Thoroughbass Improvisation

Bernardo Pasquini (1637–1710)
Basso continuo fugue in d minor, from Ms. Add. 31501/II (1708) 

Giovanni Paisiello (1740–1816)
Partimento in D Major, Gj2330, from Regole per bene accompagnare il Partimento (1782) 

Johann Mattheson (1681–1764)
Grosse Generalbaß-Schule, Teil 3 (1731)
Prob-Stück No. 12 in A-flat major 
Prob-Stück No. 20 in B minor 

 

Harpsichord -  Kenneth Yeung
古鍵琴 - 楊奇峰
 

This program focuses on eighteenth-century improvisation in both Italian and German traditions. The Italian partimento tradition is demonstrated by examples of Bernardo Pasquini (1637-1710) and Giovanni Paisiello (1740–1816), whereas the German thoroughbass tradition is illustrated by two “test pieces” (Prob-Stücke) taken from the advanced class of the Grosse Generalbaß-Schule (1731) written by Johann Mattheson (1681–1764). Since the texture of these pieces was only partially written out – encoded on a single staff with figured bass notation – it is ultimately the performer’s interpretation and imagination to transform the shorthanded sketch into a fully-fledged piece of composition.

Program notes by Kenneth Yeung
 

April 8, 2021

 

Johann Christian Schickhardt (c. 1682–1762)
Concerto in D minor for four recorders and basso continuo

Allegro
Adagio
Vivace - Allegro

 

Baroque recorder - Jennifer Tsang
巴羅克木笛 - 曾霆枝 

Baroque bassoon (basso continuo) - Karen Yeung
巴羅克巴松管(數字低音)- 楊嘉倫

Harpsichord (basso continuo) - Dr. Sonia Lee
古鍵琴(數字低音)- 李敏琪博士
 

In view of the relative scarcity of eighteenth-century music for recorder ensemble, the extremely rare use of four treble recorders deserves special attention. The devotee of Baroque flute music will undoubtedly welcome these additions to his repertoire, all the more so since they present no insuperable difficulties, and their composer, who seems particularly happy in the cantabile slow movements and the high-spirited finales, knows how to occupy the four instruments almost throughout as equal partners, hardly one of whom need to feel his function to be that of pure harmonic filling. 

Program notes by Jennifer Tsang
 

April 15, 2021

 

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Sonata in F Major for oboe and basso continuo, HWV 363a

Adagio
Allegro
Adagio
Bourrée

Menuetto
 

Baroque Oboe 
巴羅克雙簧管 - Agnieszka Mazur

Baroque bassoon (basso continuo) - Karen Yeung
巴羅克巴松管(數字低音)-  楊嘉倫

Harpsichord (basso continuo) - Dr. Sonia Lee
古鍵琴(數字低音)- 李敏琪博士
 

Handel’s Oboe Sonata in F major HWV 363a was probably written at some point between 1711 and 1716. The sonata offers a vibrant and engaging dialogue between the solo oboe part and the accompanying (basso continuo) instruments. Five contrasting movements represent such typical baroque idioms as dances, ground bass, and imitation, and contain a variety of baroque effects. The sonata was later reworked into a Flute Sonata (G major, HWV363b). The final Minuetto was used again in 1734 in his Concerto Grosso No. 4 in F major Op. 3, HWV315.

Program notes by Agnieszka Mazur
 

CONCERT VIDEO 

Video released on every Thursday (Mar 11 - Apr 15)
Language: Cantonese with English subtitles
 
YouTube:

HKUST Center for the Arts

Concerto da Camera 雅樂合奏團 

Concert I
 
CONCERT II
 
CONCERT III
 
CONCERT IV
 
CONCERT V
 
CONCERT VI

CONCERTO DA CAMERA (Hong Kong)

Since its founding in 2004, Concerto da Camera has brought unique, innovative chamber music and arts programs to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Its programming strives to increase public interest in classical music, and to foster arts and culture. Its events have taken place in both traditional venues and new spaces, such as beautiful heritage sites, offering memorable experiences to the audience. Sponsors of its past projects include the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Po Leung Kuk, Ming Pao, RTHK, and Alliance Française de Hong Kong. 
 
An advocate of new music, Concerto da Camera regularly commissions and performs works by living and Hong Kong composers, and has received multiple supports from the CASH Music Fund. The organization also collaborates with artists of disciplines outside music.
 
Visit www.concertodacamera.org
 
Concerto da Camera Limited is a registered charitable organization in Hong Kong. You can apply for tax deductible with a receipt for donations of HK$100 or above.
 

Artists’ biographies

Co-organized by the HKUST Center for Education Innovation, Center for the Arts and Concerto da Camera.