Irish Baroque Orchestra 'La Folia'

The Irish Baroque Orchestra welcomes regular guest and oboist extraordinaire Alfredo Bernardini. Alfredo will present a programme about madness in music based around the 'La Follia' variations of great Italian master and one-time Irish resident Francesco Geminiani. Alfredo Bernardini has assembled a programme of unusual musical rarities by a line-up of the Baroque’s biggest personalities including Telemann, Fux & Zelenka.

“Follia” (madness or frenzy) was originally the name of a 16th century Spanish dance based on a specific, distinctive chord progression – not unlike what today’s jazz musicians call a “blues chart”. During the 17th century this chord series became associated with a particular melody “La Follia” which grew to be extremely popular. Things developed into a sort of “musical relay race” over time as the material or even just the chord progression was snatched by hundreds of composers, among them many of the greatest names such as Scarlatti, Corelli, Vivaldi, Bach, Cherubini, Liszt, and Rachmaninov.

Programme:

Fux Concerto "Le dolcezze e l'amarezze della notte”

Vivaldi Violin Concerto in D “L’inquietudine” (soloist Claire Duff)

Telemann Concerto for Oboe in C minor

Zelenka Hypochondria à 7 concertanti

Keiser Sinfonia from "Der lächerliche Printz Jodelet”

Geminiani Concerto Grosso Op.5 No.12 “La Follia”

Mozart Galimathias Musicum KV 32 (excerpts)