MUSIC

On Saturday, April 2nd at 8:00pm Mercury Baroque will perform A Night in Madrid, a special concert featuring the Spanish-influenced music by Italian-born composer Luigi Boccherini. In the Wortham Center - Cullen Theater.

Highlights of the performance include Boccherini’s famed Fandango for Guitar and Strings, “Night Music in the Streets of Madrid” and his virtuosic Cello Concerto #9, performed by Houston trained cellist Erika Johnson.

Cellist Erika Johnson is no stranger to Houston. Having grown up in the city’s magnet schools for music, Johnson went on to study the cello at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) and the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. In addition to her role as Mercury Baroque’s principal cellist, Johnson also performs with the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera. In A Night in Madrid, Johnson will perform Boccherini’s technically demanding Cello Concerto #9 in Bb.

“Our orchestra is made up of wonderful musicians from around the world,” says Antoine Plante, Artistic Director of Mercury Baroque, “but we are very proud to feature such a talented locally trained musician whose skill and success should make Houston proud.”

An Italian-born composer, Boccherini lived most of his working live in Spain, ultimately having a large influence on his compositions. Also on the program showcasing his Spanish-influenced compositions is his famed Fandango for Guitar and Strings, a passionate and dramatic piece that combines the flair of a traditional fandango with the structure of classical music. Guitarist Charles Weaver will perform the Fandango on a rare period-accurate guitar.

Originally a String Quintet, Boccherini’s “Night Music in the Streets of Madrid” is a prime example of programmatic music, or music written to portray a certain scene or evoke a certain feeling. Boccherini cleverly used all sorts of musical sound effects to depict the streets of Madrid after sunset. Church bells, blind beggars and patrolling policemen are all heard in the music of this quintet. Mercury Baroque will perform a version of this piece adapted for orchestra.

Our popular, pre-concert lecture with Dr. Yvonne Kendall begins at 7:15pm in the Wortham's Green Room.

Scheduled Program:

Boccherini: Cello Concerto #9 in Bb, G.482
Boccherini: Night Music in the Streets of Madrid, G.324
Boccherini: Symphony “La Casa del Diavolo”, G.506
Boccherini: “Fandango” for Guitar and Strings, G.448

Featuring:
Erika Johnson, Cello
Charles Weaver, Guitar

Mercury Baroque
Antoine Plante, Artistic Director

Now in its 10th Season, Mercury Baroque has charmed audiences and critics the world over with its passionate and exciting performances of Baroque music on period accurate instruments. Originally founded as a chamber ensemble, Mercury has since grown into a full orchestra of young, dynamic musicians, performing a subscription series of concerts in downtown Houston, other Houston-area communities and touring both domestically and internationally.

In addition to frequent performances, Mercury Baroque is also dedicated to educating future audiences and training the city’s future musicians. Mercury’s educational outreach programs have reached more than 10,000 children in the past 5 years alone.