Coming up in Philly music: Tempesta di Mare presents a parade of Baroque giants

The program for Tempesta di Mare’s next concert looks like the lineup for a Baroque all-star team: Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, and Corelli. The two lesser-known composers on the roster were both big names in their own time: Cambini and Fasch. Fasch has been rediscovered in the last few years, largely because of Tempest di Mare’s efforts, and he’ll be represented with a “modern premiere.” His Concerto for Orchestra in G major will receive its first performance since the Baroque era ended in the second half of the 18th century.

One of Tempesta di Mare’s primary strengths is its ability to field a full-size Baroque orchestra, playing the type of winds and strings musicians actually played in the 18th century. The program will open with one of Bach’s most popular works, the Concerto for Two Violins. Most of the other pieces are concerti grossi—works in which two or three soloists interact with the main orchestra. All the composers on the program had a natural bent for the concerto grosso and it inspired some of their best work. Tempesta di Mare has put together a program that could feel like a parade of masterpieces.

The Tempesta di Mare Baroque Orchestra will present “Bach’s Double Violin Concerto, Concerti Grossi, And A New Orchestral Discovery By Fasch” on March 23, 2019, at 8pm at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 23 South 38th Street, Philadelphia; and March 24 at 4pm at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Avenue. Admission is $39 preferred, $25 general admission, and free for full-time students. Tickets are available online and at the door.