Past Seasons

Announcing our 2009-2010 Season

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DRESDEN: Music of Schütz, Heinichen & Zelenka

Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 5:30pm

First Lutheran Church of Boston

The music of 17th-century Dresden is best epitomized by the works of Heinrich Schütz, the most well-known composer to work for that court. His legacy continued with the music of Johann David Heinichen and the Bohemian composer Jan Dismas Zelenka. Acclaimed vocal ensemble Exsultemus presents a special Lenten program from Dresden, including Schütz’s Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross for choir, soloists, viola da gamba consort, and continuo, Heinichen’s Nisi Dominus for soprano, oboe, and continuo, and Zelenka’s Canticles of Zachary and responsories for choir and organ.

Tickets: $15, $25, $35; $5 off for students and seniors (reserved seating)

Purchase tickets online, at 857-998-0219, or at the door 30 minutes before the concert

Renaissance Series

Josquin and his Legacy

Friday, October 30 at 8pm at Union Church in Waban

Saturday, October 31 at 8pm at University Lutheran Church in Cambridge

Sunday, November 1 at 3pm at First Lutheran Church of Boston

Music of the Renaissance is often exemplified by the styles of two musical giants—Josquin des Prez at one end and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina at the other—with little attention paid to the composers who comprised the “lost generation” that came between them.  Exsultemus pays homage to Josquin des Prez, and to a selection of composers directly influenced by Josquin, bridging the gap between the styles of these two masters in a program of music performed by six male voices, with sacred motets by Moráles and Clemens non Papa, chansons by Mouton, Richafort, Lupi, Arcadelt, and le Jeune, as well as Gombert’s moving lament on the death of Josquin, Musae Jovis.

Lamentations

Friday, January 15 at 8pm at Union Church in Waban

Saturday, January 16 at 8pm at University Lutheran Church in Cambridge

Sunday, January 17 at 3pm at First Lutheran Church of Boston

The Lamentations of Jeremiah appear in the old Catholic liturgy only once a year—during Holy Week—but the vivid imagery of the texts became a favorite source of inspiration to Renaissance composers.  Settings of the Lamentations became as popular as Masses, Magnificats, and Requiems, with the most famous examples by Tallis and Victoria .  Exsultemus rekindles the inspirational spark of this music with lesser-known Lamentations settings by Brumel, Burmudez, White, Ferrabosco, and Palestrina, plus La Rue’s interpretation of the Lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan, and Andrea Gabrieli's déploration for Willaert.

Las Ensaladas of Mateo Flecha

Friday, May 14 at 8pm at Union Church in Waban

Saturday, May 15 at 8pm at University Lutheran Church in Cambridge

Sunday, May 16 at 3pm at First Lutheran Church of Boston

The “musical salads” of Catalonian composer Mateo Flecha are the subject of Exsultemus’ newest program celebrating music of the Iberian Peninsula .  This fascinating collection of pieces for four and five voices mixes humor, Biblical verse, and dance rhythms to create rousing miniature masterpieces that were among the most popular music of 16^th-century Spain .  Be sure to mark your calendar for this thrilling program for voices and percussion with guest artist Tom Zajac.

Baroque Series

Our popular Baroque concert series returns to the First Lutheran Church of Boston for a second season of unique vocal and instrumental chamber music and organ and harpsichord solos by prize-winning organist Bálint Karosi .  Concerts take place at 5:30pm and last approximately one hour without intermission.

HAMBURG: Bernhard, Weckmann & Telemann

September 27 at 5:30pm at First Lutheran Church of Boston

One of the most important musical centers in Germany, Hamburg was home to some of the most influential composers of the Baroque era. Join us for a sampling of the remarkable Italianate songs of Christoph Bernhard, an extraordinary cantata by Matthias Weckmann, and two of Georg Philipp Telemann's cycle of church cantatas, composed for Hamburg's Johanneum in the style of those Bach composed for the Thomaskirche in Leipzig.

DARMSTADT: Briegel & Graupner

December 6 at 5:30pm at First Lutheran Church of Boston

The court at Hesse-Darmstadt in Germany boasted an active musical life, as evidenced by the extensive catalogues of chapel masters Christoph Graupner, who was the preferred choice over Bach for the position at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, and Wolfgang Carl Briegel, Graupner's predecessor in Darmstadt. Exsultemus presents a selection of rarely-performed Christmas cantatas by these talented composers.

LEIPZIG : Schelle, Kuhnau & J. S. Bach

February 21 at 5:30pm at First Lutheran Church of Boston

Johann Sebastian Bach, perhaps the most famous Baroque composer today, was only one of many distinguished musicians to hold the illustrious post of Cantor for the major churches of Leipzig. Join us for an exploration of works by Bach's predecessors Johann Schelle and Johann Kuhnau, plus a performance of Bach's test piece for the position, Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe (BWV 22).

DRESDEN: Schütz, Heinichen & Zelenka

March 14 at 5:30pm at First Lutheran Church of Boston

The music of 17th-century Dresden is perhaps best epitomized by the works of Heinrich Schütz, doubtless the most well-known composer to work for that court. Schütz's music was heavily influenced by his journeys to Italy, as well as by his devotion to his own vernacular. Acclaimed vocal ensemble Exsultemus presents a special Lenten program from Dresden, including Schuüz's Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, plus Heinichen's Nisi Dominus for soprano and oboe and responsories by the Bohemian composer Jan Dismas Zelenka.

PERGOLESI: Stabat Mater plus works by Carissimi and Sances

April 18 at 5:30pm at First Lutheran Church of Boston

There are few works more profound than Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, which was published more than any other piece of music in the eighteenth century. Written just months before his untimely death at the age of 26, Pergolesi's monumental composition for soprano, alto, strings, and keyboard vividly depicts the anguish of the Virgin Mary witnessing the death of Jesus on the cross. Acclaimed Boston vocal ensemble Exsultemus pairs an intimate performance of this work with music by Giovanni Felice Sances, Giacomo Carissimi, and Arcangelo Corelli.

Dates, times, locations, and programs are subject to change.