Istanbul International Music Festival–Trevor Pinnock

Program: #08-22   Air Date: May 19, 2008

This series is made possible in part by a grant from the American-TurkishCouncil, Raymond James International Holding (independent investment and financial planning advice and investment banking services in the United States and Turkey since 1962), and the American Friends of Turkey.

This year's festival (June 6 through June 30, 2008) looks at the myriad forms of chamber ensembles from major European capitals with a stunning array of soloists. We will preview two great baroque ensembles and two extraordinary soloists.

NOTE: Trevor Pinnock: A Short Biographival Sketch: (from bach-cantatas.com)--The outstanding English harpsichordist and conductor, Trevor (David) Pinnock, became a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral when he was 7. After receiving instruction in piano and organ, he served as a church organist. At 19, he entered the Royal College of Music in London, where he took courses in organ and later harpsichord. While still a student, he organized the Gailliard Harpsichord Trio (1966). He also toured Europe with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the Fields.

In 1973 Trevor Pinnock founded the English Concert, an ensemble devoted to the performance of early music of the 17th and 18th Centuuries on original instruments. Through numerous tours and recordings, his ensemble acquired an international reputation, but most importantly have won a huge international following for the exceptional quality and the irresistible enthusiasm of their concert performances. He toured North America with it for the first time in 1983. In September 1988, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in New York conducting Giulio Cesare. In 1989 he founded the Classical Band of New York, which he led in performances of the Classical repertoire from Haydn to Mendelssohn on period instruments until resigning unexpectedly in 1990.

In 1991 Pinnock was named artistic director and principal conductor of the National Arts Celntre Orchestra (NACO) in Ottawa. In 1995 he conducted it on a critically acclaimed tour of Europe. In 1996 he stepped down from his post but served as its artistic advisor during the 1996-1997 season. In 1993 was made an honorary Doctor of Music at Ottowa University.

From 1991-1996 he was artistic director and principal conductor of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, a group he had first directed in 1985. He subsequently served as its artistic advisor during the 1996-1997 and 1997-1998 seasons, including a tour of the USA with the performance and recording of Beethoven's 1st and 5th piano concertos with Grigory Sokolov as soloist.

He conducted Opera Australia and Michael Chance in Handel's Rinaldo at the Sydney Opera House in 2005. He also played William Babell's virtuoso harpsichord transcriptions with some of the arias (which Babell claimed were of Handel's actual improvisations). He is to return to conduct Handel's Orlando.

With the European Brandenburg Ensemble, a baroque orchestra founded by him to mark his 60th birthday, he is touring Europe, Asia and America in 2007. Founded to perform Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, they are playing a wide variety of the core baroque repertoire.

I. Christmas Concertos (The English Concert/Trevor Pinnock, harpsichord & cond.) Archiv CD 435.262.

--MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER (1645/50-1704): Noels sur les instruments, H.531, 534
--JOHANN MELCHIOR MOLTER (1695-1765): Concerto pastorale in G major
--GIUSEPPE SAMMARTINI (1695-1750): Concerto grosso in G, Op. 5, No.6: Pastorale

II. VIVALDI: Gloria (The English Concert & Chorus/Trevor Pinnock, harpsichord & cond.) Archiv CD 477.6737.

--ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI (1660-1725): Dixit Dominus

III. Scarlatti: Sonatas (Trevor Pinnock, harpsichord) Archiv CD 477.6737

--DOMENICO SCARLATTI (1685-1757): Sonatas in C, K.502, K. 460, K. 461

Sonatas in d minor, K. 516, 517

Composer Info

MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER (1645/50-1704), JOHANN MELCHIOR MOLTER (1695-1765), GIUSEPPE SAMMARTINI (1695-1750),

CD Info

Archiv CD 477.6737, Archiv CD 435.262.