The mainstay of the basso continuo group, the tenor among orchestral strings and the resonant hero of many a stage ensemble: the cello. Without pretentions to grandeur, the violin’s big brother is clasped between the knees, taking more of a supporting role. No one would question its authority as a harmonic foundation. Yet, for centuries, the cello was overlooked as a solo instrument. Honour where honour is due, thought Ensemble BoulevardBaroque, and invited Ira Givol on an adventure starring The Cello Man. Monuments of the Baroque Antonio and Vivaldi and Georg Philipp Telemann provide musical fireworks, flanked by the lesser-known Dutch master Pieter Hellendaal and Giovanni Benedetto Platti, who was probably one of Vivaldi’s students. The photographer Sanne De Wilde provides a visual counterpoint that focuses on what usually escapes our attention: the everyday heroes who are all too often taken for granted.
Program
A. Vivaldi: Cello Concerto in C minor, RV 401 | P. Hellendaal: Concerto Grosso in G minor, opus 3 no. 1 | G.B. Platti: Cello Concerto in C minor | G.P. Telemann: Overture Suite in B flat major, TWV 55:B5 ‘Les Nations’
Performers
Sanne De Wilde, photography | Ira Givol, cello | Ensemble BoulevardBaroque | Karla Enríquez, violin & artistic leader