Early Music Now Presents Modern Music

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Photo from quicksilverbaroque.com

Early Music Now’s second concert of the season features a rare take on modern music…modern for the mid-17th century, that is. The double concert program by Quicksilver Baroque Ensemble offers the earliest explorations of the “modern style” of instrumental music that would eventually become today’s chamber music. Led by violinists Robert Mealy and Julie Andrijeski the ensemble includes cellist David Morris, harpsichordist Avi Stein, and guitarist/theorboist Charlie Weaver.

The concerts take place 7:30 p.m., Nov. 7-8 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 914 E. Knapp Street. The first concert, “Stile Moderno: New Music from Seventeenth-Century Italy,” includes music by Dario Castello, Giovanni Battista Fontana, Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger and others. Taking a cue from earlier consort music, these musical revolutionaries broke away from the staid restrictions of Renaissance polyphony and invented music rich with drama and sensually emotional tone. Beyond expanding the character of their sound, they also created a new musical form, the sonata. This purely instrumental genre provided composers a new means to express both imagination and virtuosity.

In the second concert, “The Invention of Chamber Music: The Early Modern String Quartet,” Quicksilver is joined by guest violists Cynthia Black and Daniel Elyar. The performance features music of composers beyond Italy including Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) William Lawes (1602–1645) and Johann Heinrich Schmelzer.

Founded in 2009 Quicksilver has become recognized as a leading group in historically informed performance of the baroque repertoire. Their Milwaukee appearance offers a unique opportunity to experience the extraordinary sound of the 17th century.


Tickets for these two separate programs are available online here or by phone at 414-225-3113.