Powell River Academy of Music
 

Stylus Fantasticus

Virtuoso flights of fancy from 17th and 18th-century Germany and France

Paul Luchkow, baroque violin (Victoria)
Sam Stadlen, viola da gamba (London, UK)
Michael Jarvis, harpsichord (Victoria)

Friday, October 20, 2017| 7:30 PM | James Hall

Admission $22 - Students 18 & under free with student ticket voucher
SAVE with the Six-Concert ticket package - $100

Tickets are available at the door 30 minutes before the concert.

P R O G R A M

Deitrich Buxtehude (c.1637-1707): Sonata in g minor, op. 2, no. 3, BuxWV 261 (pub. 1696)
Vivace - Allegro - Andante - Grave - Gigue
attrib. Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704): Sonatina/Fantasia
Adagio - Presto - Adagio - Presto
Louis Couperin (c.1626-1661): Le Tombeau de Monsieur Blancrocher
Marin Marais (1656-1728): Les Voix Humaines (Pièces de Viole, Livre II, pub. 1701)
Georg PhilippTelemann (1681-1767): Trio in b minor, TWV:43:h6
-Largo - Vivace - Andante - Allegro

Intermission

Marais: La Sonnerie du Ste-Genevieve du Mont (1723)
Biber: Sonata Representativa in A major (1669?/pub. 1699)
Allegro - Nachtigal - [Allegro] - CuCu - Frosch - Allegro. Die Henne/Der Hahn - Presto -
Adagio. Der Wachtel - Die Katz - Musketier Marsch - Allemande
Marais: La Rêveuse (Pièces Viole, Livre IV, pub. 1717)
Jean-Phillippe Rameau (1683-1764): Pièce de Clavecin en Concert IV (pub. 1741)
La Pantomime. Loure vive - L'Indiscrette. Vivement - La Rameau

Stylus Fantasticus

"The fantastic style is...the most free and unrestrained method of composing...bound to nothing,
neither to words nor melodic subject. It was to display genius and to teach the hidden design of
harmony…"
- Scholar and scientist Athanasius Kircher in 1650

Paul Luchkow, baroque violin (Victoria) and Michael Jarvis, harpsichord (Victoria) are joined by internationally-acclaimed bass viol/viola da gambist Sam Stadlen of Fretwork (London, UK) in a programme exploring this astonishingly inventive repertoire: the place where musical experimentation and unfettered imagination intersect! With music by Buxtehude, Biber, Louis Couperin, Marais, Telemann, and Rameau, this promises to be an evening to remember.

Based in London and York, Sam Stadlen took up the viola da gamba under the tutelage of Susanna Pell while reading for his Master’s in music at the University of York. He has been a member of Fretwork since 2015, appearing with the group regularly live and on the radio both in the UK and internationally.

He also appears as a continuo player and soloist on viol and cello with a number of early music ensembles. These include the viol consort Chelys, with whom he has recently recorded a CD of music by Dowland with Dame Emma Kirkby, as well as early music ensembles such as the Stanesby Players, The London Abel Quartet, Follia, L’Academie du Roi Soleil, and viol duo Ensemble Touché with Ibrahim Aziz. With several of these groups, he performs both early repertoire and modern compositions and has developed a keen interest in the performance of contemporary music on early instruments.

With Fretwork in particular, he has performed music by George Benjamin, Michael Nyman, John Taverner, Nico Muhly and has recently recorded The World Encompassed – a new work by Orlando Gough describing Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe. In October 2016, Sam completed a three-week concert tour of Canada, the US, and Colombia celebrating Fretwork’s 30th anniversary with concerts including the American premiere of Nico Muhly’s Slow.

In addition to his performing work, Sam is Professor of Viol Consorts at the Royal College of Music in London and has been an associate lecturer at the University of York and a guest lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in the influences of poetry and declamation on the composition and performance of the pièces de viole in late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century France. Visit samstadlen.co.uk

Paul Luchkow is a versatile violinist and violist whose activities cover the range of music from the 17th Century to the present day on modern and period instruments. In addition to the Victoria Baroque Players, he is a regular feature of Vancouver's Early Music scene. Paul is a long-time member of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra and appears frequently in concerts for Early Music Vancouver, the Early Music Society of the Islands, as well as at Victoria's Pacific Baroque Festival.

In demand as a leader, guest director, and educator, Paul has worked with Per Sonatori: Regina's Baroque period-instrument ensemble, VoiceScapes and Spiritus Chamber Choir in Calgary, and he has given performances and masterclasses at universities across western Canada. As an adjudicator, Paul frequently hears and encourages young musicians across British Columbia.

A highlight of recent years has been his work with fortepianist Michael Jarvis and their exploration of Baroque, Classical and Romantic sonata repertoire on period instruments. They have two recordings: One of Hummel Sonatas (nominated for a Western Canada Music Award) for fortepiano and violin / viola on the Marquis Classics label, and a self-released recording of sonatas by Mozart. A third recording, Sonatas by the French composer Michel Corrette, will be released on Marquis in Spring 2017. Paul makes his home in Victoria with his wife and children.

Newly-moved to Victoria, Michael Jarvis is one of Canada's finest harpsichordists, fortepianists and continuo players, and is in demand as a collaborative artist. A frequent performer throughout Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, he has also performed with many of Canada's leading orchestras and chamber ensembles, accompanied, conducted, or played continuo for many of Canada's finest singers and has appeared as soloist or continuo player at many festivals throughout North America. He has conducted the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the baroque dance ensemble of La Belle Danse in Toronto, was organ instructor at and Artistic Director of the Mohawk College Singers, a 90 voice choral society based at Mohawk College, Hamilton and was for 15 years Artistic Director of the period instrument ensemble The Baroque Players of Hamilton. In addition to performing across Canada, he has performed as soloist and continuo player throughout the USA, England, Italy and Bermuda.

Michael Jarvis may be heard on the Marquis Classics, Hungaroton, ATMA, Naxos, Solitudes and Avalon CD labels, and has many times broadcast nationally and regionally for the C.B.C., as well as nationally across the U.S. on N.P.R. His and violinist Paul Luchkow’s CD of Hummel’s op. 5 violin sonatas was chosen as a finalist as best classical album of the year in the Western Canadian Music Awards 2013. He also appears as harpsichordist on the Victoria Baroque Players’ debut CD, also nominated for best classical album of the year with the Western Canadian Music Awards 2015. His new CD with Paul, Michel Corrette’s Sonatas for Harpsichord and Violin, Op. 25 (on mythological themes) will be released on the Marquis CD label in Spring 2017.

Michael was featured on two national Canadian television specials for Bravo: "A Baroque Christmas" and "A Baroque Easter". He was also co-host and star of the 13-part television series "Come into the Parlour" for Bravo-tv. He also conducted in Toronto the world premiere of the chamber opera “Cassandra” by Vancouver composer Ian McAndrew, to glowing reviews in Opera Canada. He was recently appointed conductor of the “Bach on the Rock” chamber choir and orchestra on Salt Spring Island.

His performing editions of 17th and 18th century choral and organ music have been published by GIA, Chicago. He has taught harpsichord and continuo, and has lectured many times at the University of Toronto. He has taught harpsichord performance at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and at Havergal College, Toronto, and fortepiano at UBC.

When he is not playing early music, Michael is an avid collector of early jazz and early opera 78 rpm recordings and is an early phonograph restorer. Michael lives in Victoria, BC.