Musica Viva Presents The Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment

The prestigious, world-renowned Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment makes its debut tour of Australia, presented by Musica Viva. The ground-breaking ensemble will be directed by leading baroque violinist Rachel Podger performing music by J Haydn, JC Bach and WA Mozart, in a rare opportunity to hear masterworks on original instruments played by some of the great performers of our time. Their program matches the youthful Mozart’s Violin Concertos nos 1 and 5 with Johann Christian Bach’s Symphony in G minor op 6 no 6, and Haydn’s Symphony no 26 in D minor. 

Formed three decades ago, the OAE performs without a conductor and stands for innovation, excellence, diversity and exploration. The OAE has revolutionised the music world with its experimentalist bent, questioning, adapting and inventing its music practices. Period-specific instruments have become just one element of its quest for authenticity. The OAE has undertaken residencies at the Southbank Centre and Glyndebourne, and have an impressive discography.

Rachel Podger is a specialist interpreter of baroque and classical music. She is a soloist and guest director with many of the world’s elite ensembles, runs her own group,  and was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize in October 2015. Recently her CD of the Biber Rosary Sonatas won a Gramophone Award, while her Vivaldi L’Estro Armonico scooped both a BBC Music Magazine Award and a Diapaison d’Or. Podger has worked frequently with the OAE over the past decade.

Rachel Podger will also mentor talented young students at a masterclass in Sydney on 13 November. Members of the public are welcome to attend. For details, click here.

ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
RACHEL PODGER director and violin

PROGRAM
HAYDN Symphony no 26 in D minor
MOZART Violin Concerto no 1 in B-flat major, K207
JC BACH Symphony in G minor, op 6 no 6
MOZART Violin Concerto no 5 in A major, K219