Le Triomphe de l'amour presents baroque music ensemble

November 02, 2009

Le Triomphe de l’amour, New Jersey’s chamber music ensemble performing music of the Baroque on period instruments, will present a concert on Saturday, November 21 at the Unitarian Church of Princeton.  The concert, titled “Purcell’s London” celebrates the 350^th anniversary of the birth of the great English composer Henry Purcell.  Guest artist Elissa Wagman, baroque violin, joins members of the ensemble Laura Heimes, soprano; John Burkhalter, recorder; Donna Fournier, viola da gamba; and Janet Palumbo, harpsichord.  John Burkhalter will present a pre-concert talk—“Mrs. Bracegirdle and the London Stage”—at 7:30 pm; the concert begins at 8:00 pm.  In his talk, Mr. Burkhalter will focus on the career of Anne Bracegirdle, the leading lady of the London stage in the 1690s, when Purcell composed a great deal of incidental music, both instrumental and vocal, for plays by Dryden, Shakespeare, and others.  Anne Bracegirdle’s celebrity made her a player in a real-life drama that included assault, kidnapping, and murder.  Her association with Purcell and with the leading playwrights of the day, (Congreve loved her, but she married someone else), will set the stage for the concert.

            The concert will feature instrumental music and songs enjoyed by London audiences of the 17^th and early 18^th centuries.  Soprano Laura Heimes will be featured in songs composed by Purcell for various theatrical productions, including King Arthur, Dioclesian, The Indian Queen, Don Quixote, and The Libertine. Music by Purcell’s teacher John Blow and by several of his contemporaries working in London will also be heard.  The instrumental music will include the Chaconne from Dioclesian as well as examples of the florid English baroque genre known as division music.  Ms. Wagman and Ms. Fournier will each be featured in performances of division music for violin and for viola da gamba, respectively.  Other works on the program include English baroque trio sonatas by Paisable, Purcell’s music for solo harpsichord, and variations on the “Greensleeves.”  The music on this program is made available to the ensemble by the Roan-Burkhalter collection of rare 17^th-18^th century musical prints.

            Violinist Elissa Wagman has performed with early music ensembles across the United States including The Publick Music, Brandywine Baroque, and the Arcadia Players.  Soprano Laura Heimes has been praised for her “sumptuous tone and shimmering clarity” and has been a featured soloist in concerts from Carnegie Hall to California’s Carmel Bach Festival.  She has taught at Westminster Choir College and Swarthmore and has recordings available on several labels.  Janet Palumbo, a founding member of the ensemble, has been featured on Brazilian national television.  Le Triomphe de l’amour has recordings available on the Lyrichord and A Casa Disco labels.

                  Tickets may be purchased at the door for $20 general admission, $15 for senior citizens, and $5 for students.  For information, call (609) 252-0522 or visit the ensemble’s website at www.triomphebaroque.org.  To receive email announcements of concerts, email info@triomphebaroque.org.  This concert is made possible in part by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/ Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.