Charlestonians can travel to Italy, France, England, Scotland and Ireland over the festival’s 17 days — all without leaving the peninsula.
Through the Piccolo Spoleto Early Music Series, iconic centuries-old music from all over the world finds new life that can be heard right here in the Holy City.
The series, which runs through June 7, celebrates the historical music and the revolutionary composers from the past. It offers a chance to appreciate transformative musical works and also listen to them in ways modern audiences rarely find.
Recorder virtuoso Steve Rosenberg returns to the program on May 24 with Wind in the Wood: Recorder Music from Naples to Colonial Charleston. Rosenberg said he aims to bring the instruments of the past to contemporary audiences.
“My goal is to bring audiences instruments that have disappeared over time, but have incredible tone colors and sounds that we do not often hear anymore,” Rosenberg said. “Along with that comes beautiful music that has also faded away.”
Julia Harlow will accompany Rosenberg on harpsichord and chamber organ, and Marcy Brenner will be on viola da gamba, a 15th-century instrument roughly similar to a cello.
Having the recorder at the forefront of a performance is uncommon by today’s standards. When modern audiences do get the chance to hear the instrument, Rosenberg said, they “are often surprised by how expressive and powerful it can be.”
The Early Music Series begins May 22 with “The Golden Age of English Music, A Pilgrim’s Solace,” performed by the Spartina Consort. These pieces aim to immerse audiences in Elizabethan England through the use of period-accurate instruments.
On May 25 and June 4, a cornerstone of classical music, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons will be performed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 95 Hasell St. Thanks to the church’s exceptional acoustics, stained glass and classical revival architecture, audiences will be transported to a serene afternoon of music.
The Charleston Baroque’s May 28 performance of “The Pachelbel Canon and the Charleston Connection” will pair well-known works of the Baroque era with selections inspired by colonial Charleston. It promises an intimate look at how Baroque traditions resonated far beyond Europe. The second performance is June 2.
For a more contemporary take on early music, the Avanti Guitar Trio will close out the series on June 6 and 7 with the century-bridging “Vivaldi Guitar Concierto and Beyond.”
Guitarists Amy Brucksch, Julie Goldberg and Christopher Teves reimagine the works of Baroque masters like Bach, Vivaldi, Soler and Boccherini. This performance adds a modern twist to the program, offering innovative perspectives on these pieces while still preserving tradition.
The Early Music Series offers several opportunities to listen to the works of the past. And as Rosenberg points out, where you hear these works can matter as much as what you hear.
“It is especially important to present this music in an acoustic setting that brings it to life,” he said. “Today, in the pop world, we rely a lot on amplification. In earlier centuries, natural acoustics provided that amplification. In a space with stone walls, the sound resonates and vibrates throughout the room, creating something very special.”
Other performances in the series include:
- Wind in the Wood: Recorder Music from Naples to Colonial Charleston, May 24 and May 30
- The Music of Franz Joseph Haydn, May 26 and June 1
- Echoes of the Chappelle Royale with Spartina Consort, May 27
- Mozart: A Little Night Music with Charleston Baroque, May 29 and June 5.
IF YOU WANT TO GO: The Piccolo Spoleto Early Music Series runs May 22-June 7. All concerts begin at 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 89 Hasell St., and last roughly one hour. Admission: $30.
Cristina Reid is an arts journalism and communications graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.