Founded in 1972, the Aston Magna Music Festival is America’s oldest annual summer festival devoted to music performed on period instruments. They have been led for over 3 decades now by violinist and author Daniel Stepner (his new novel, Orpheus in Jerusalem, is out now). They offer four varied programs over the next 4 weeks with performances in Boston on Thursdays and then in Great Barrington on the weekends, beginning this week with the 3 Partitas of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Weekend 1: Thursday at 7:00 pm, July 11; Saturday at 6:00pm, July 13
J. S. BACH: THE THREE PARTITAS FOR SOLO VIOLINPerformance and commentary
Daniel Stepner, Artistic Director, baroque violin
Weekend 2: Thursday at 7:00 pm, July 18; Saturday at 6:00pm, July 20
SIDE-BY-SIDE-BY-SIDE: SCHUBERT, CHOPIN AND THREE GRAND PIANOS David Hyun-su Kim, piano, Guest Curator
Schubert Bb Sonata, D. 960
Chopin: Mosaic Suite in the Style of Clara Schumann
Plus CPE Bach and Beethoven
Weekend 3: Thursday at 7:00 pm, July 25; Saturday at 6:00pm, July 27
SONATA, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?Julie Andrijeski, Guest Director, violin, and ensemble
Sonatas and solo works from 1600 – 1713
Bertali, Buxtehude, van Wichel, Corelli, and others
Weekend 4: Thursday, August 1 at 7 pm; *Sunday, August 4 at 3 pm
ENGLISH EXTRAVAGANZADaniel Stepner, Artistic Director, violin,
with instrumental ensemble and vocal quintet
Henry Purcell: Songs, Sonatas, and Catches
John Eccles: The Judgement of Paris (1701)
A masque depicting the beauty contest between Venus, Juno and Pallas.