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Six voices, six viols, and the history of classical music in Philly
BSR Classical Interludes, March 2025
Gail Obenreder
March has come in like a musical lion, so here are a few of the interesting concerts to start off the month. There’s a 19th-century soiree, an evening that features the string bass, contemporary music—including a premiere with six singers and six viols (an instrument most often heard in early music)—and a lecture about the “new” music and arts scene in colonial Philly. Enjoy!
Night Music: A Bel Canto Soiree
Friday, March 6, 7pm
Powel House, 244 S 3rd Street, Philadelphia
Part of the PhilaLandmarks Early Music series, this Romantic period instrument ensemble will recreate an evening of operatic lyricism. The concert—music by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and others—is modeled on gatherings hosted by Italian expatriate singer Giuseppe De Begnis, and copies of the singer’s original scrapbook will be on view. Performing will be Night Music co-directors Heather Miller Lardin (bass) and Steven Zohn (flute), joined by Philadelphia soprano Jessica Beebe, guitarist Adam Cockerham (NYC), violinist Mandy Wolman (Philly), and cellist Guy Fishman (Boston). There is a pre-concert talk at 6:30pm.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Dances, Visions, Rapture
Sunday, March 9, 3pm
Kimmel Cultural Campus's Perelman Theater, 300 S Broad Street, Philadelphia
For this PCMS concert, tenor Nicholas Phan joins ECCO, New York’s conductorless string orchestra, in a concert filled with interesting works. There’s Britten’s surrealistic song cycle of poems by Arthur Rimbaud, Les Illuminations. Also on the program are Shaker Loops by John Adams, Hanna Benn’s 2016 work Where Springs Not Fail, and William Grant Still’s Danzas de Panama, based on a collection of Panamanian folk tunes. A pre-concert talk beginning at 1:45pm will be given by Dr. Christine Anderson (soprano) of Temple University’s Boyer College.
1807 & Friends: A String Bass Extravaganza
Monday, March 10, 7:30pm
Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce Street, Philadelphia
The bass takes center stage! This concert features two seldom-heard works—String Quartet No. 1 by Maddalena Lombardini-Sirmen and Gran Quintetto in C minor by Giovanni Bottesini—along with Dvorak’s Bass Quintet in G Major. Lombardini-Sirmen, a contemporary of Haydn, was trained in one of Venice’s famed ospedali and taught by Giuseppe Tartini. Bottesini, “the Paganini of the bass,” was a famed 19th-century concert musician who also conducted opera, often inserting his own solo pieces as entr’actes. Musicians are Nancy Bean and Barbara Govatos (violins), Pamela Fay (viola), Glenn Fischbach (cello), and bassist David Fay.
Talks at Gloria Dei: A New Art with Us: Music in Colonial Philadelphia
Thursday, March 13, 7pm
Gloria Dei/Old Swedes Church, 916 South Swanson Street, Philadelphia
Though not a concert, this talk by historian and archivist Jack McCarthy will detail how Philadelphia changed from a barren musical landscape in its early history to colonial America’s most vibrant musical center. As part of a lecture series offered by Gloria Dei—the oldest church in Pennsylvania—McCarthy will talk about Benjamin Franklin’s contributions and some events at the church that helped establish Philly as a center for music and the arts. Reservations are strongly suggested, and there will be a reception following the talk.
Variant 6 and Sylvan Viols: Endless Morn of Light
Friday, March 14, 8pm
Fleisher Art Memorial (presented by Bowerbird), 719 Catherine Street, Philadelphia
Saturday, March 15, 3pm
Market Street Music, First & Central Presbyterian Church, 1101 North Market Street, Wilmington
Sunday, March 16, 2pm
Bala Cynwyd Library at Levering Mill Tribute House, 131 Old Lancaster Road, Bala Cynwyd
The highlight of this fascinating concert is the world premiere of the title work by noted Philadelphia composer (and BSR contributor) Kile Smith. It was commissioned by the two presenting groups for their forces of six voices and six viols. Smith’s work sets two extended poems by John Milton, At a Solemn Musick and On Time. The new composition is paired with Orlando di Lasso’s unconventional Prophetiae Sibyllarum, presented in different combinations of voices and viols. Advance tickets are available for Friday and Saturday concerts; on Sunday, seats are available at the door, with donations accepted but not required.
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