2025-26 Season > Baroque Masterworks

Experience the brilliance and emotional depth of the Baroque era with a program of masterworks from some of its greatest composers. Mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall brings expressive power to Giovanni Battista Ferrandini’s Il Pianto di Maria, a poignant and rarely heard gem. The orchestra shines in a vibrant suite from Rameau’s Les Boréades, J. S. Bach’s joyful Sinfonia to Cantata BWV 42, and the timeless elegance of Handel’s Water Music Suite in F Major. A rich tapestry of sound, spirit, and splendor awaits.

Estimated Run Time
2 HRS | One 20-Minute Intermission

Location
NEC’s Jordan Hall | 30 Gainsborough St, Boston, MA 02115


CAST

 
 

Conductor
Christian Curnyn
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Soprano
Meridian Prall
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COMPOSERS

 

Giovanni Battista Ferrandini (1710–1791)
An Italian composer celebrated for his expressive vocal writing, Ferrandini was admired in his time but remains a hidden gem today. His Il Pianto di Maria is a deeply moving cantata, long attributed to Handel, that portrays the Virgin Mary's sorrow with poignant beauty and emotional intensity.

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
One of the most important French composers of the Baroque, Rameau was a revolutionary in both opera and music theory. The suite from his final opera Les Boréades showcases his vivid orchestration, rhythmic vitality, and the elegance of the French Baroque.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
A towering figure in Western music, Bach’s mastery of counterpoint and expressive depth remain unmatched. His Sinfonia to Cantata BWV 42 bursts with energy and joy, originally serving as an instrumental opening to a sacred cantata for the first Sunday after Easter.

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
A German-born composer who found fame in England, Handel became synonymous with grandeur and melodic brilliance. His Water Music Suite in F Major, composed for King George I’s barge concerts on the Thames, brims with lively dance rhythms and regal charm.