November 2024

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November 23, 7 PM (Riverside)

Ken Aiso and Valeria Morgovskaya: violin and fortepiano music by Bach and Haydn

La Sierra University Faculty Recital with Ken Aiso and Valeria Morgovskaya will pair the violin music of JS Bach, CPE Bach and Josef Haydn with a piano much more suited to their music than a modern piano - an 1811 Broadwood fortepiano.  The magic of this music is often lost with the modern instrument, while the period piano permits delightful discoveries.

Violinist Ken Aiso, adjunct faculty at La Sierra University, has long experience with the performance of period music, both as a long-time member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in England, and as an active collaborator in period solo and chamber music performance.  Valeria Mogovskaya, beloved collaborative pianist for many years at La Sierra University,  is a more recent convert, who effortlessly creates beauty with the period piano.    

The acoustic in HMA is another plus, for while the modern piano is sometimes overbearing in the hall, the period instrument is perfectly suited for this space.  

The Period Piano Collection in Redlands, CA collects and maintains a large inventory of historic instruments for study and for performance, and has a long collaboration with the Department of Music.  For more see http://www.periodpiano.org 

FREE Admission

La Sierra University Hole Memorial Auditorium, 4500 Riverwalk Pkwy, Riverside, CA 92505

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Sunday, November 24, 2024, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm  (Beverly Hills)

Tesserae: La Selva Selvaggia – From Diminution to the Stylus Phantasticus

The new Italian styles of instrumental music that crossed the Alps in the early Baroque–deemed to be improvisatory, wild, bizarre–were identified as the ‘stylus phantasticus’ (the fantastic style) by German theorists.

At the same time, these “new” styles were largely grounded in older practices: namely the improvisation of diminutions (a form of florid ornamentation). This program explores the fertile ground in which these seeds of Renaissance improvisation grew into the early Baroque sonata and toccata.

Enjoy music by Palestrina, Arcadelt, Kapsberger, Riccio, Rognoni, Frescobaldi, Castello, and others!

Tickets: $50/$35/$25/20
Free admittance for children (under 18) and members of the All Saints’ Music Guild.

Purchase your tickets in advance here.

All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills  504 North Camden Drive  Beverly Hills, CA 90210

more info: https://tesseraebaroque.org/

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Saturday November 30 at 7 P. M. Concert performance (Pasadena) (repeats as a liturgical performance Dec 1)

Musica TransAlpina: Jacobus de Kerle’s magnificent Missa Da pacem Domine

            This program showcases Jacobus de Kerle’s magnificent Missa Da pacem Domine (1583), which has remained unheard in its entirety since the Renaissance. It shows the earliest foreshadowings of the Baroque.  We painstakingly transcribed this work specifically for this program.

            De Kerle bases this Mass upon the votive antiphon for peace, Da pacem Domine (Give peace in our time, O Lord. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.), which is likely a reference to the legendary Battle of Lepanto from the previous decade.  To weave the hauntingly beautiful melody of this antiphon into his mass setting, De Kerle employs an exceptionally archaic cantus firmus compositional technique that harkens back to the early Renaissance.   By the time this Mass was published, however, compositions based upon canti firmi had a reputation for being dull, clumsy, and pedantic, but De Kerle avoids these detractions by combining this old-fashioned approach with lively melodies and highly rhetorical concepts of power, majesty, & victory; strongly alluding to the emergence of the forthcoming Baroque style.  The end result is a strikingly beautiful composition that blends old techniques with a bold new spirit to proclaim a message of peace achieved through military strength. Come experience the remarkable transformation that church music underwent during the Counterreformation.

Tickets:

St. Andrew Church 311 N Raymond Avenue Pasadena, CA 91103

Parking in adjacent lot (can be free for church events - check with the onsite guard)

more info https://musicatransalpina.org/, https://www.facebook.com/MusicaTransalpina 

 

December 2024

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Handel's Messiah: Performances and Sing-a-longs

are listed at the end of the December Calendar

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Sunday, December 1, 2024 6:00 pm (mid-Wilshire), and live broadcast on KUSC 91.5 FM, and live-stream

USC Thornton Baroque Sinfonia :“A French Christmas”

directed by Rotem Gilbert and Jason Yoshida :
Great Music at Saint James, Classical Sundays at Six

FREE

Saint James-in-the-City 3903 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
more info: https://stjla.org/greatmusic/

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Sunday December 1,  9 A.M. (Free liturgical performance) (Wilmington) (repeats as concert performance Nov 30)

Musica TransAlpina: Jacobus de Kerle’s magnificent Missa Da pacem Domine

            This program showcases Jacobus de Kerle’s magnificent Missa Da pacem Domine (1583), which has remained unheard in its entirety since the Renaissance. It shows the earliest foreshadowings of the Baroque.  We painstakingly transcribed this work specifically for this program.

            De Kerle bases this Mass upon the votive antiphon for peace, Da pacem Domine (Give peace in our time, O Lord. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.), which is likely a reference to the legendary Battle of Lepanto from the previous decade.  To weave the hauntingly beautiful melody of this antiphon into his mass setting, De Kerle employs an exceptionally archaic cantus firmus compositional technique that harkens back to the early Renaissance.   By the time this Mass was published, however, compositions based upon canti firmi had a reputation for being dull, clumsy, and pedantic, but De Kerle avoids these detractions by combining this old-fashioned approach with lively melodies and highly rhetorical concepts of power, majesty, & victory; strongly alluding to the emergence of the forthcoming Baroque style.  The end result is a strikingly beautiful composition that blends old techniques with a bold new spirit to proclaim a message of peace achieved through military strength. Come experience the remarkable transformation that church music underwent during the Counterreformation.

FREE

The parish church of Ss. Peter & Paul 515 West Opp Street Wilmington CA 90744

parking in large church lot

more info https://musicatransalpina.org/, https://www.facebook.comMusicaTransalpina

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Friday, December 6, 2024 8 pm (USC, near downtown LA)

Thornton Baroque Sinfonia :“‘Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes!’: A Concert of 17th-Century French Noels”

directed by Rotem Gilbert and Jason Yoshida . With Special Guest Mary Vanhoozer, hurdy gurdy

University of Southern California: Newman Recital Hall

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Saturday, December 7 at 12:00 PM (Long Beach)

Musica Angelica Richard Savino (guitar) and Jennifer Ellis Kampani (Soprano): Baroque guitar music and songs

This performance features music showing the progression of the baroque guitar to modern guitar with music from Latin America and Italy.

Free Community Concert, all ages are welcomed.

The Billie Jean King Library, Miller Room , 200 W Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802.

more info: https://www.musicaangelica.org/

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Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 PM (Long Beach)

Musica Angelica: Christmas in Vienna

Vienna has hosted December Markets since 1296, so they were likely enjoyed by Joseph and Michael Haydn as well as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For a holiday surprise, festive works by these composers will be joined by the 1921 Christmas Music of Vienna native (and Los Angeles resident from 1934 on) Arnold Schoenberg, in celebration of the sesquicentennial of his birth.

Program Details

I. Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo (Little Organ Mass), Hob. XXII:7 – Joseph Haydn

II. Concerto in F major for Violin, Organ and Strings, Hob. XVIII:6 – Joseph Haydn

III. Motet: Ergo interest, KV 143 for Soprano and Strings – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

IV. Weihnachtsmusik (Christmas Music) – Arnold Schoenberg

V. Cantata: Lauft ihr Hirten allzugleich for Soprano, Chorus and Strings – Johann Michael Haydn

Join Martin Haselböck (Music Director), Cynthia Roberts (Concertmaster), Ashley Fabian (Soprano), Dr. Ianthe Obelia Marini (Alto), Pablo Corá (Tenor), Scott T. Graff (Bass) and the artists of Musica Angelica.

Tickets $43-$85; Receive 20% off concert tickets!This promo code is valid thru November 30. PROMO CODE XMAS24 Are you a veteran? Musica Angelica would like to thank you for your service. Please use PROMO CODE VETERAN24 and receive 30% off your tickets!

Musica Angelica will host a reception in the FCCLB Courtyard before the concert.

First Congregational Church of Long Beach 241 Cedar Avenue  Long Beach, California 90802

more info: https://www.simpletix.com/e/christmas-in-vienna-long-beach-tickets-175166

 

Sunday, December 15 at 3 PM (Near Koreatown, Los Angeles)

Musica Angelica: Christmas in Vienna

Vienna has hosted December Markets since 1296, so they were likely enjoyed by Joseph and Michael Haydn as well as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For a holiday surprise, festive works by these composers will be joined by the 1921 Christmas Music of Vienna native (and Los Angeles resident from 1934 on) Arnold Schoenberg, in celebration of the sesquicentennial of his birth.

Program Details

I. Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo (Little Organ Mass), Hob. XXII:7 – Joseph Haydn

II. Concerto in F major for Violin, Organ and Strings, Hob. XVIII:6 – Joseph Haydn

III. Motet: Ergo interest, KV 143 for Soprano and Strings – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

IV. Weihnachtsmusik (Christmas Music) – Arnold Schoenberg

V. Cantata: Lauft ihr Hirten allzugleich for Soprano, Chorus and Strings – Johann Michael Haydn

Join Martin Haselböck (Music Director), Cynthia Roberts (Concertmaster), Ashley Fabian (Soprano), Dr. Ianthe Obelia Marini (Alto), Pablo Corá (Tenor), Scott T. Graff (Bass) and the artists of Musica Angelica.

Tickets $43-$85; Receive 20% off concert tickets!This promo code is valid thru November 30. PROMO CODE XMAS24 Are you a veteran? Musica Angelica would like to thank you for your service. Please use PROMO CODE VETERAN24 and receive 30% off your tickets!

Join Martin Haselböck (Music Director), Cynthia Roberts (Concertmaster), Ashley Fabian (Soprano), Dr. Ianthe Obelia Marini (Alto), Pablo Corá (Tenor), Scott T. Graff (Bass) and the artists of Musica Angelica.

Patrons are invited to a post-reception in the Shatto.

First Congregational Church of Los Angeles 540 South Commonwealth Avenue  Los Angeles, California 90020

more info: https://www.simpletix.com/e/christmas-in-vienna-los-angeles-tickets-175213

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Handel's Messiah:

Performances and Sing-a-longs

Two performances feature period instruments and are historically informed

    (see Dec 18 and Dec 19).

Interesting variants are: Mozart's arrangement (Dec 15), and a "Soulful" arrangement (Nov 21).

Concert performances on Dec. 8, 15, 19, 20, 20,

Sing-a-longs (which include concert performances of arias with soloists) on :

      Dec 1, 6, 6, 16, 18, 22

 

Summary in calendar order

(details below):

Thursday, November 21 2024 (album listening session and panel discussion) (USC, near downtown LA)

Mervyn Warren: The Making of "Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration"—A Close Listening Session

 

Sunday, December 1 at 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (two performances: 10AM and Noon) (Yorba Linda)

Nixon Library : Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along

 

December 8, 2024 | 3:00 PM (Costa Mesa)

Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony: Handel's Messiah

 

Friday, December 6 2024 8PM (Westwood)

Westwood Presbyterian Church’s Music: Messiah Sing-A-Long, with soloists

 

December 6, 2024  7:30 p.m. (Torrance)

Joanna Medawar Nachef, : Messiah Sing-Along, with organ, orchestra and soloists

 

Sunday December 15, 2024 7:00PM (downtown LA)

Los Angeles Master Chorale: Mozart arrangement of Handel's Messiah

 

Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at 2:00 pm (Thousand Oaks)

Areté Vocal Ensemble: Handel's Messiah (Christmas portion)

 

Dec 16, 2024, 2024. 7:30pm (downtown LA)

Los Angeles Master Chorale: Messiah Sing-Along, with soloists

 

Wed December 18, 7:30 PM  (Santa Monica)

St. Augustine Episcopal Church : Messiah performance (arias) and Sing-a-long (choruses).

 

Thursday, December 19, 2024, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm (Long Beach)

The Long Beach Camerata Singers and Tesserae Baroque Ensemble: Handel’s Messiah

 

Friday, December 20, 2024 7:30 - 9:30pm  (downtown LA)

DREAM Orchestra : Handel's Messiah

 

Fri Dec 20, 2024 - 7:30 PM (Glendale)

Holiday in Harmony: Handel's Messiah

 

Sunday, December 22, 2024, two performances, 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Claremont)
Claremont Symphony: Annual Messiah Sing-Along Concert: Messiah Part I plus Hallelujah Chorus, with soloists

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Detailed listings

Thursday, November 21 2024 (album listening session and panel discussion) (USC, near downtown LA)

Mervyn Warren: The Making of "Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration"—A Close Listening Session

            In 1992, Mervyn Warren, a five-time Grammy Award–winning composer-arranger and original member of Take 6, and a longtime collaborator of Quincy Jones— spearheaded a soulful rendition of Handel’s Messiah. Featuring an incredible array of special guests, the album spanned spirituals, blues, jazz, ragtime, big band, fusion, R&B, and hip hop, and won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. The album was executive produced by Quincy Jones.
           6:30 pm – 7:45 pm – All audience members are invited to participate in a “close listening” of the album. Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration will be played in its entirety, in sequence. If you have never heard the album, or want to re-hear it, or if you simply want to be part of a collective listening experience to hear the album in a public setting, please join.
           8:00 pm – 9:30 pm – After the close listening session, stay for a discussion panel / Q&A with Mervyn Warren and special guests, as they reminisce and share captivating stories about the album’s unique creation and recording near USC during the Los Angeles uprising and riots. This panel will be moderated by Jason King, dean of USC Thornton School of Music, and Dr. Tram Sparks, chair of the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program.
           "The Making of Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration" is part of Quincy Jones: Beyond Category, an event series organized by the USC Thornton School of Music to explore, elevate, and celebrate Quincy Jones’s life and legacy. Working across styles and idioms including classical, jazz, pop, R&B, and film scoring—and breaking ground for African American achievement in the entertainment industries—Jones has garnered the highest levels of critical and commercial acclaim.
           This event is presented by USC Visions & Voices: the Arts & Humanities Initiative.

more info: https://www.performingartslive.com/Events/The-Making-of-Handels-Messiah-A-Soulful-CelebrationA-Close-Listening-Session-Carson-Soundstage

FREE

USC, Carson Soundstage 3450 Watt Way Los Angeles CA 90089

 

Sunday, December 1 at 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (two performances: 10AM and Noon) (Yorba Linda)

Nixon Library : Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along

The Yorba Linda Arts Alliance presents the 18th annual Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along. Enjoy time-honored beloved Christmas choruses accompanied by a live string orchestra and choir, conducted by David Walterman.

Free Event Admission, Seating is first come, first served.

Richard Nixon Presidential Library East Room, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd. Yorba Linda, CA 92886

Information at www.artsyl.org or call 714-349-2581.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/handels-messiah-sing-along-tickets-1048223453567

 

December 8, 2024 | 3:00 PM (Costa Mesa)

Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony: Handel's Messiah

A timeless masterwork that transcends three centuries of fads and fashions, Handel’s Glorious Messiah is an event of joy, reflection, and renewal. Thrill to the blazing trumpets, thundering timpani, and the electrifying, uplifting “Hallelujah” chorus!  

Tickets $52-$228

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall 615 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626

 

Friday, December 6 2024 8PM (Westwood)

Westwood Presbyterian Church’s Music: Messiah Sing-A-Long, with soloists

            Westwood Presbyterian Church’s Music at Westwood presents their annual performance of George Frederic Handel’s Messiah on Friday evening, December 6, 2024, at 8 pm. The audience will join the Westwood Presbyterian Chancel Choir, six esteemed vocal soloists and the Westwood Presbyterian Chamber Orchestra, forming a 150-voice choir as part of the traditional “Messiah Sing-Along,” one of the few events of this kind in greater Los Angeles.
           Composed over a three-week period in 1741, “Messiah” is a holiday favorite and regarded as one of the Handel’s finest oratorios. It includes such renowned arias and choruses as the celebratory “Ev’ry valley shall be exalted”, the exuberant “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion” and the majestic “Hallelujah”.
           vocal soloists: Christina Borgioli (soprano), Devon Davidson (soprano), Emily Kerrigan (mezzo-soprano), Elias Berezin (tenor), Emerson Boatwright (tenor) and Matthew Lewis (bass); music director Dan Redfeld.

Ticket Information: $25 for adults, $10 for students, Children under 18 admitted FREE
Westwood Presbyterian Church 10822 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles CA 90024

more info: https://www.performingartslive.com/Events/Messiah-Sing-A-Long-Westwood-Presbyterian-Church-11

 

December 6, 2024  7:30 p.m. (Torrance)

Joanna Medawar Nachef, : Messiah Sing-Along, with organ, orchestra and soloists

Join us for our annual community sing-along performance of Handel’s Messiah, with organ, orchestra and professional soloists and YOU and the Chorus. This uplifting and heartwarming tradition, filled with sublime music, is sure to add sparkle and glow to your holiday season. Bring your own score or pick one up at the door .

Admission is FREE!

Center for the Arts at El Camino College, Haag Recital Hall. 16007 Crenshaw Blvd Torrance CA 90506

more info: https://www.performingartslive.com/Events/Messiah-Sing-Along-Joanna-Medawar-Nachef-director-Center-for-the-Arts-at-El-Camino-College

 

Sunday December 15, 2024 7:00PM (downtown Los Angeles)

Los Angeles Master Chorale: Mozart arrangement of Handel's Messiah

In celebration of our 60th Anniversary, the Chorale presents the rarely performed Mozart version of Handel’s Messiah.  A tribute from one musical genius to another—Mozart’s “cover” of Handel’s Messiah is a revelation of symphonic grandeur and sensuous orchestral colors. In this extraordinary collaboration across centuries, Mozart’s nuanced arrangement elegantly enhances the grandeur of Handel’s sacred masterpiece. This is a rare opportunity to experience a beloved classic in a totally new way.

Performers: Grant Gershon, conductor, Graycen Gardner, soprano, Hannah Little, mezzo-soprano, Edmond Rodriguez, tenor, Steve Pence, bass, 48 singers, orchestra

Listen Up! KUSC Host Jennifer Miller Hammel and Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director

Tickets $59-$179

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL 111 South Grand AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90012

 

Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at 2:00 pm (Thousand Oaks)

Areté Vocal Ensemble: Handel's Messiah (Christmas portion)

The singers of Areté present music from George Frederic Handel’s timeless classic Messiah. Wyant Morton will conduct. Samuelson Chapel will be filled with joyous refrains and exultant arias, including the iconic “Hallelujah Chorus,” in this presentation of one of the best-loved and best-known works in all of classical music.

Tickets are $25 at the door or $20 if purchased online in advance. For information and to purchase tickets, visit www.aretevocalensemble.org.

Samuelson Chapel 165 Chapel Lane Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 

more info: https://www.aretevocalensemble.org/

 

Dec 16, 2024, 2024. 7:30pm (downtown LA)

Los Angeles Master Chorale: Messiah Sing-Along, with soloists

Be part of our vibrant holiday tradition at the Los Angeles Master Chorale and join us in singing Messiah in Walt Disney Concert Hall. You can bring your own score or purchase one in the lobby.

Come sing with us! Messiah Sing-Along will renew the spirit and infuse your Christmas season with joy. Revel in the magic, relish the tradition, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Performers: Grant Gershon, conductor, Chloé Vaught, soprano, Carmen Edano, mezzo-soprano, Evan Roberts, tenor, Jamal Moore, bass, 20 singers, chamber orchestra and YOU!

tickets: $49-$149

Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

more info: https://lamasterchorale.org/show-details/messiah-sing-along-la-sings

 

Wed December 18, 7:30 PM St. Augustine Episcopal Church (Santa Monica)

St. Augustine Episcopal Church : Messiah performance (arias) and Sing-a-long (choruses).

One of only two performances in the LA area historically informed with period instruments. Includes Bach Cantata BWV 82 Ich habe genung, Ariana Stultz, soloist. Performed with a full period orchestra of Baroque instruments playing at A415. Directed by Mike Raleigh (doctoral candidate in choral conducting, USC).

Soloists: Soprano: Jessica Berns-Garner, Laura Jackson Barrows; Alto: Ariana Stultz; Tenor: Kirk Garner; Bass: Jacob Alvarez-Ruiz, Kevin Allen

FREE

St. Augustine Episcopal Church has wonderful acoustics.

parking in City structure directly across the street from the church, 90 min free, 2 hours $2.00.

 

Thursday, December 19, 2024, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm (Long Beach)

The Long Beach Camerata Singers and Tesserae Baroque Ensemble: Handel’s Messiah

Tesserae Baroque joins Long Beach Camerata Singers in their 17th Annual performance of Handel’s beloved masterpiece. One of only two performances in the LA area historically informed with period instruments. This year, the performance will take place in the newly renovated Long Beach City College Auditorium! Say “Hallelujah” as we perform this beloved masterpiece, now in its 17th year! This year we again partner with the Tesserae Baroque Ensemble and award-winning soloists to share all vour favorite arias and choruses.

Tickets: VIP $70, Preferred $60, General $45

Long Beach City College Auditorium 4901 E. Carson Street Long Baech, CA   90808

more info: https://longbeachcameratasingers.org/event/handels-messiah-2024/

https://tesseraebaroque.org/event/the-long-beach-camerata-singers-handels-messiah/

 

Friday, December 20, 2024 7:30 - 9:30pm (Doors open at 6:30pm) (downtown LA)

DREAM Orchestra : Handel's Messiah

Experience the power of Handel's masterpiece in person, surrounded by the stunning architecture of the cathedral. Prepare to be moved by the soaring voices and enchanting melodies that will fill the sacred space. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to witness a truly extraordinary performance.
General Admission: $40. (Use discount code "CATHEDRAL" for $10 off!)

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. 555 W Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
more info: https://olacathedral.org/events/handels-messiah

 

Fri Dec 20, 2024 - 7:30 PM (Glendale)

Holiday in Harmony: Handel's Messiah

Alex Theatre 216 N Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91203

Note: there is no apparent web site for this event, nor any available information

 

Sunday, December 22, 2024, two performances, 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Claremont)
Claremont Symphony: Annual Messiah Sing-Along Concert: Messiah Part I plus Hallelujah Chorus, with soloists
soloists: Lindsay Feldmeth Westra, soprano, Emily Weinberg, mezzo-soprano, Matthew Dunn, tenor, Jóhann Schram Reed, bass-baritone; conducted by Music Director Robert Sage

Bridges Hall of Music, 150 E. 4th Street (corner of 4th and College), Claremont, CA, on Pomona College campus

more info: https://www.claremontso.org/current-season.html