aam Sign Up Information

                      Viktoria Mullova violin                                                   James Hall countertenor

Milton Court Concert Hall, London | Bach & Burgundy with Stannary St. Wine Co. | Thursday, 20 February 2020
6:00pm for 6:15pm - 1er Cru Burgundy tasting, Milton Court Concert Hall
7:30pm - The Art of the Lute, Milton Court Concert Hall
9:30pm - 1er Cru Burgundy dinner, Osteria, Barbican
 

BACH & BURGUNDY: Stannary St. Wine Co.

Burgundy – perhaps the most fascinating and intriguing wine-producing region of France. Just two grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, suggest simplicity, yet the multitude of expressions created by location, small local micro-climates, methods of viniculture and more lead to wines that can be astonishingly complicated and amongst the most sought-after in the world. Pinot Noir –  hauntingly perfumed, silky, complex – creates some of the most sublime wines known to man, and we explore this king of grapes alongside one of the greatest composers to have lived: J. S. Bach.

Bach’s exceptional composition, and in particular his notable skills as a fugue-writer, pay homage to the creation of great Burgundy. Both begin with simple ingredients and a straightforward set of rules – for growing and cultivating; for harmony and counterpoint – yet the mastery of Bach and skill of the top wine-makers can produce something far above the ordinary. Led by “Mr. Burgundy” Jason Haynes of Stannary St. Wines (Burgundy experts, winning IWC’s ‘Burgundy Specialist of the Year), and one of today’s leading Bach interpreters, lutenist Thomas Dunford, we’ll sample four wines before our concert, and a further three over dinner afterwards in the company of performers. Great Burgundy, like Bach’s music, has a serious structure, complex interplay of melody and harmony, and once created continues to evolve as we explore it for years to come.

“…one of the most exciting burgundy dealers around.” [The Daily Telegraph]

The Art of the Lute with Thomas Dunford

Milton Court Concert Hall, London | The Art of the Lute / Bach & Burgundy | Thursday, 20 February 2020
6:00pm for 6:15pm - Burgundy tasting, Milton Court Concert Hall
6:30pm - (Pre-concert talk, Concert Hall)
7:30pm - Concert (visit our website or email events@aam.co.uk)
9:30pm - Burgundy dinner, Osteria, Barbican

West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge | The Art of the Lute with Thomas Dunford | Sunday 23 February 2020
6:00pm - Pre-concert talk, Concert Hall
7:00pm - Concert (visit our website or email events@aam.co.uk)

We want to sincerely thank those of you have generously given to our AAM Musicians'' Fund in support of our players, without whom AAM couldn't produce superb concerts, critically acclaimed recordings, and provide music for millions of listeners all around the world.

In just one month, we have achieved our initial ?25,000 target and are approaching ?30,000 in donations from our incredible supporters around the world, in support of AAM''s players who find themselves out of work at this difficult time. If you haven''t yet donated, please do consider joining the movement with any donation, large or small. Any amount would be greatly appreciated and on behalf of our musicians, we thank you for your support.

With our best wishes,

Dear AAM concertgoer,

This weekend: #SpotifySundays with John McMunn

The new Chief Executive of the Academy of Ancient Music John McMunn joins us this Sunday at 3pm to share his favourite recordings on our #SpotifySundays playlist. Coming to AAM from the Gabrieli Consort and Players with a background in vocal performance, John brings a wealth of experience to AAM and a keen vision for the future to the ensemble. 

Trained as a musicologist at Harvard and Cambridge Universities and as a singer at the Royal College of Music's International Opera School, John performed for nearly a decade as a soloist in opera and concert, with notable appearances including roles for English National Opera; the Aldeburgh, Buxton and City of London Festivals; and oratorio appearances with Academy of Ancient Music and the Philharmonia, BBC Symphony and Ulster Orchestras, among others.

Following a move into management, John held fundraising and marketing roles at Tenebrae Choir and Academy of Ancient Music, and was Artistic Director of the 2016 Cambridge Summer Music Festival. Since October 2016 he has served as General Manager of Gabrieli, leading an expansion of the organisation's touring work into new markets in Asia and Australia, overseeing the development of their innovative choral training scheme Gabrieli Roar, and garnering numerous international awards for recorded and live performance including the Helpmann Award for Best Chamber/Instrumental Ensemble Performance (2019) and BBC Music Magazine's Recording of the Year (2020).

JS BACH Orchestral Suite No.3 in D Major, BWV1068: 1. Ouverture
AAM''s Orchestral Suites recording was the first major project I worked on during my previous stint with the organisation. I remember - listening to it on repeat whilst editing the CD booklet - being struck by the clarity of Richard Egarr''s single-string interpretation. The music dances exactly as it should. It''s playful, responsive, detailed and - for contrapuntal writing of such density - light as a feather. I could have chosen any of the Suites for this playlist, but in the end the humour and wit of the opening of the fugal section in the Ouverture to No.3 tipped it.

F SCHUBERT Lieder
Before working in arts management, I had a first career as a singer in which lieder was a permanent fixture and always close to my heart. I stumbled across these songs looking for the AAM Chamber Ensemble''s recording of the Beethoven Septet, but in the end found them so beautiful I chose to include them instead. John Mark Ainsley is at the height of his poetic powers here, singing with utter commitment and delicate textual nuance. Steven Lubin''s support at the fortepiano offers a kaleidoscopic array of colours, but with an intimacy evocative of the songs'' humble domestic origins. I could listen to these all day.

GF HANDEL Organ concerto in B flat major, Op.7 No.1
Richard Egarr has a well-deserved reputation for the improvisational flair he brings to Handel''s keyboard works, and this is captured beautifully across AAM''s Op.7 recording of 2009. At times it is almost as if Egarr is making it up as he goes along, feeling his way through the music, sounding it out as if for the first time. With the orchestra shadowing his every footstep, the listener is drawn in and taken along for the most enjoyable of rides.

WA MOZART Piano concerto No.26 in D major, K537 ''Coronation''
I was lucky enough to take Robert Levin''s chamber music course as an undergraduate at Harvard for two years. The only practical musical course offering at the University, ''Music 180'' offered a weekly masterclass with the great artist in repertoire ranging from the Baroque to newly commissioned works. I have always been in awe of Levin''s breadth of knowledge and unceasingly curious musical mind, but it was only after I left Harvard to pursue further studies at Cambridge University that I discovered his extensive work in what might be termed ''historical performance''. This recording - part of a cycle of Mozart keyboard concertos still to be finished - is just a taste of Levin''s technical prowess and endlessly inquisitive (and utterly fearless) personality on the concert platform. I look forward to welcoming him back to AAM as soon as possible to complete the rest of the cycle!

JS BACH St Matthew Passion, BWV244: No.64 ''Am abend'' & No.65 ''Mache dich''
I served as a Choral Scholar in the Choir of King''s College, Cambridge for two years whilst completing an MPhil in Musicology, singing daily services in the College''s iconic Chapel under the late Sir Stephen Cleobury''s careful direction. Stephen was a remarkable man - a force of nature intellectually and musically, with seemingly endless reserves of energy and an uncompromising vision for both himself and those lucky enough to work with him. This final aria from Stephen''s final recording with AAM is my tribute to him and an expression of profound gratitude for all he did for me across two different careers in the Arts. That it is sung (beautifully) by my dear friend, William Gaunt, is but icing on the cake.

E ELGAR Coronation March, Op.65
For my bonus track I''ve chosen Edward Elgar''s little known ''Coronation March'', written for the coronation of King George V in 1911 and performed here by Gabrieli under founder and artistic director Paul McCreesh. I have been lucky enough to work with Paul and Gabrieli for the past four years, and this recording - from 2018''s acclaimed English Coronation release - gets to the core of that work. The music itself is ''bonkers'' (as Paul would say) - a coronation march that begins in the minor mode and in three, as if the funeral of the old king and the elevation of a new one were elided in music - but Paul''s approach is almost as insane. Recorded live in Ely Cathedral with a full symphony orchestra of early 20th century instruments, this may be the new benchmark recording of the work, one vastly underappreciated and indeed nearly unknown to modern listeners. Special mention must be made of the final grand organ entry, captured here in all its glory by the recording team at Classic Sound. Turn it up and enjoy the ride!

We want to sincerely thank those of you have generously given to our AAM Musicians'' Fund in support of our players, without whom AAM couldn't produce superb concerts, critically acclaimed recordings, and provide music for millions of listeners all around the world.

In just three weeks we have raised over ?20,000 of our ?25,000 goal. Please consider contributing to our fund with a donation, large or small. Any amount would be greatly appreciated and on behalf of our musicians, we thank you for your support.

With my best wishes,

Dear AAM concertgoer,

This weekend: #SpotifySundays with Bojan Cicic

Violinist and leader of the Academy of Ancient Music, Bojan Cicic joins us this Sunday at 3pm to share his favourite recordings on our #SpotifySundays playlist. Taking time away from a busy week of recording, Bojan''s insightful choices throw into focus AAM''s releases on AAM Records, covering highly colourful works by Castello, the development of the symphonic form in the late baroque and early classical eras, and ending with a landmark recording of Mozart''s Clarinet Concerto with Antony Pay and Christopher Hogwood. Enjoy!

Croatian-born violinist Bojan Cicic specialises in repertoire ranging from the late 16th century to the Romantic violin concertos of Mendelssohn and Beethoven. He is the leader of the Academy of Ancient Music and the ensemble Florilegium and appears regularly as soloist in concerts all over the world (with a recent recording of J.S. Bach's Concerto for Two Violins with Rachel Podger named the best available recording of the work by BBC Music Magazine).

Bojan formed his own group, the Illyria Consort, to explore rare repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. They have performed at the Utrecht Early Music Festival, the Korkyra Baroque Festival, Festival Laus Polyphoniae, and at the Festival de Sabl?. Their debut recording of Giovanni Stefano Carbonelli's Sonate da camera Nos. 1-6 achieved great critical acclaim and was chosen as one of Presto Classical's "Presto Recordings of the Year" for 2017. The Illyria Consort's second disc, a world premi?re recording of Giovanni Giornovich's London Violin Concertos, was released in March 2019, followed by the second volume of Carbonelli's Sonate da camera Nos. 7-12.

In 2016 Bojan was appointed Professor of Baroque Violin at the Royal College of Music, and is passionate about training the next generation of instrumentalists in historically-informed playing styles. He lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and two children.

Dario Castello, Sonata concentrate in stil moderno, Book 1: Sonatas Nos. 1-6
Pavlo Beznosiuk, Bojan Cicic, Josu? Mel?ndez, Joseph Crouch, Susan Addison, Richard Egarr

''I''m especially excited that AAM''s newest recording project focuses on Book 2 of these fascinating, imaginative and daring sonatas by Dario Castello. Back in 2019, I made a film with (former AAM Hogwood Fellow) Sandy Burnett and AAM lutenist William Carter, talking through my collection of baroque bow and the music for which they were suited, with Castello featuring in the course of proceedings. You can check out the full film here.''

Handel, Saul, HWV 53: I. Allegro. II. Larghetto, III. Allegro, IV. Andante larghetto
Richard Egarr

''The Birth of the Symphony album (from which these selections from Handel''s Saul and the following works from Richter and Stamitz are taken) was the first recording I did with AAM, and captures brilliantly the excitement of performing under Richard Egarr''s direction, with his scholarly research into the early days of this musical form. A central focus of this album was shining a spotlight on lesser-known but intriguing symphonies that illustrated symphonic development from its earliest stages.''

(AAM note) This Sinfonia is a four-movement work that has echoes of the French orchestral suite, the baroque concerto, and also the 17th-century Italian sonata da chiesa. The initial Allegro has the ear-catching function expected of sinfonias; it is dominated by the snappy opening phrase, which is repeatedly played by the orchestra between various short sections for smaller forces.

The succeeding Larghetto combines gently descending melodic phrases with a steadily moving bass line. Handel then surprises us with the third movement, which is effectively a miniature concerto for oboe and orchestra. In Handel's autograph of the Sinfonia, the oboe is given long, sinuous lines of semiquaver figuration over the busy string writing. Other versions exist of this movement where the solo part is given to the keyboard. The Sinfonia ends with a graceful minuet headed Andante larghetto; here the orchestral forces are condensed into a three-part texture that could be from a chamber sonata.

Franz Xaver Richter, Grande Symphony No. 7 in C Major: I. Allegro, II. Andante, III. Allegro
Richard Egarr

(AAM note) By the mid-1700s, a number of highly skilled and well-staffed court orchestras in central Europe were pioneering developments in symphonic form, principally among them the orchestra of the Mannheim court, considered by many to be among the best on the continent.  

Franz Xaver Richter joined the Mannheim court in 1749, but he was already writing symphonies in earlier stages of his career. Richter's Grande Symphony No.7 in C major was published in 1744 and has, like the symphonic style popularised by the Mannheim orchestra, an irrepressible rhythmic drive, propelled by the constant semiquavers in the first movement and the short, clearly punctuated phrases in the finale.

Yet Richter's symphonic style consists of more than superficial sonic effects. In the slow movement, he shows his willingness to use the minor key, something rare among the Mannheim composers. In all three movements there are touches of contrapuntal writing, as in the cheeky rising upward lines for violin that are introduced towards the end of the first movement. And also in the first movement he amazes the listener with his seemingly unending succession of contrasting themes, often spiced by unexpected harmonic twists.

Johann Stamitz, Sinfonia a 4 in D Major: I. Presto, II. Andante, III. Presto
Richard Egarr

(AAM note) A taste of the powers of the Mannheim orchestra can be sampled in the Sinfonia a 4 in D major by Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz (1717-57). Stamitz joined the Mannheim court in about 1741, and in 1750 (the approximate date of this Sinfonia) he gained the post of Director of Instrumental Music there. A relatively early work, the Sinfonia is in three movements for strings only, although some performances may have added woodwind and even brass and timpani.

The Sinfonia shows the brilliance and vigour associated with the Mannheim school, notably in the first movement with its rising violin scales over a harmonically static bass, and the drumming effect of repeated notes. A more mellifluous tone is heard in the slow movement, where gentle Scotch Snap figures adorn the violin melodies. Stamitz's style is constantly demonstrative and lively, always with the aim of arousing the attention of the audience. At the same time, both Stamitz and Richter used early versions of the sonata principle to give tonal coherence to their orchestral writing.

Mozart, Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622: I. Allegro, II. Adagio, III. Rondo (Allegro)
Antony Pay, Christopher Hogwood

''This recording of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto from 1985 with Antony Pay is an important addition to the playlist, for a very personal reason. The first time I ever heard AAM live was in the Musikverein in Vienna, performing this very work with Antony Pay. I took a morning train from Zagreb, where I lived at the time, and got to Vienna in the afternoon. I met with (AAM ''cellist) Joseph Crouch, who got me a ticket and whom I knew well from Aesteas Musica baroque masterclass in Croatia, run by Catherine Mackintosh. I was still quite new to the period performance, but I remember well this particular performance of this concerto.''

ENCORE: Pink Floyd, Echoes
David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Richard Wright, Roger Waters

''This particular single by Pink Floyd - while well over 20 minutes long - is extraordinary and one I can''t stop listening to at the moment! Highly recommended...''

TONIGHT marks the launch of the inaugural Live From London festival with VOCES8, The Sixteen, I Fagiolini, The Swingle Singers and more. We''re hugely delighted to be participating as part of ten amazing evenings of music, heralding the return of live performances.

AAM's own concert on 15 August features leader Bojan Cicic and Richard Egarr performing Bach concertos; our two principal cellists Joseph Crouch and Sarah McMahon in Vivaldi's double concerto; and Marcello's gorgeous oboe concerto with Leo Duarte - full programme details below.

Tickets are available online at just ?8 per concert for a 'season ticket' - a new, live concert every Saturday for ten weeks at ?80; or a single ticket for AAM's concert alone at ?12.50. On-demand catch-up is included across all of the following week to see a concert you missed, or to re-watch a concert you enjoyed.

This concert will mark our first live performance since the start of lock-down - please join us and our partner ensembles to celebrate this joyous occasion! More information can be found at www.aam.co.uk/livefromlondon

Programme:

• Purcell: Chacony in G minor
• Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV1058
• Vivaldi: Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor, RV531
• Bach: Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV1042
• Vivaldi: Slow movement from Concerto in A minor, op. 3 no. 8, RV 522
• Handel: Finale from Overture to Solomon
• Marcello: Concerto for Oboe in D minor