Magnificat to Perform Charpentier’s Nativity Pastorale
Magnificat is pleased to announce performances of the Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Nativity Pastorale on the weekend of Dec. 7-9. The program will feature the Pastorale sur la naissance de Nostre Seigneur, one of Charpentier’s most brilliant and moving works. In this exhilarating blend of dramatic dialogues and ensembles, instrumental dances, and exquisite choral writing, Charpentier’s displays his imagination and technical mastery and his extreme sensitivity to poetic imagery. Magnificat’s program will include Charpentier’s settings of several of traditional French carols, or noëls, that are, by turns, charming, poignant, and amusing. Tickets are available online at magnificatbaroque.tix.com.
On a sabbatical after celebrating Magnificat’s 20th anniversary season, Artistic Director Warren Stewart will return to lead an ensemble featuring singers Catherine Webster, Jennifer Paulino, Clara Rottsolk, Clifton Massey, Paul Elliott, and Peter Becker, together with Vicki Boeckman and Louise Carslake, recorder; Rob Diggins and Jolianne von Einem, violin; John Dornenburg, viola da gamba and Jillon Stoppels Dupree, harpsichord.
Note that due to renovations at our usual Berkeley venue, the Saturday evening performance will be at St. Mark’s Episcopal, the Saturday concert will be at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, 2005 Berryman Street in Berkeley. The church offers excellent acoustics (and lots of parking) and an intimate atmosphere for Charpentier’s extraordinary music. For the Friday concert we will return to First Lutheran, 600 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto and Sunday will be at our usual San Francisco venue, St. Mark’s Lutheran, 1111 O’Farrell. We will also return to our 8:00 pm starting time for the Friday and Saturday concerts. There will be a lecture beginning 45 minutes before each performance.