Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, December 4, 2016

Philharmonia Baroque presents Handel's Joshua
2016-12-04
Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church
49 Knox Drive, Lafayette, CA
4:00 PM, Sunday, December 4, 2016

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George Frideric Handel (1685-1759): Joshua, An Oratorio in Three Acts, HWV 52, (1747)

[4:04 PM, lights down, tuning; Nick & soloists enter to applause a minute or two later]

1. [4:08 PM] Introduction (instrumental)
2. [4:12 PM] Chorus of Israelites
3. [4:13 PM] Recitative (Joshua, then Caleb)
4. [4:16 PM] Air (Caleb)
5. [4:16 PM] Recitative (Achsah)
6. [4:22 PM] Air (Achsah)
7. [4:22 PM] Recitative (Joshua)
8. [4:24 PM] Joshua & Chorus of Israelites
9. [4:25 PM] Accompagnato (Joshua)
10. [4:28 PM] Air (Joshua)
11. [4:29 PM] Recitative (Othniel)
12. [4:30 PM] Air (Othniel)
13. [4:33 PM] Recitative (Angel, then Joshua)
14. [4:34 PM] Accompagnato (Angel)
15. [4:35 PM] Recitative (Joshua)
16. [4:35 PM] Air (Joshua)
17. [4:37 PM] Chorus of Israelites
18. [4:40 PM] Accompagnato (Othniel)
19. [4:42 PM] Recitative (Othniel)
20. [4:43 PM] Accompagnato (Othniel, then Achsah)
21. [4:44 PM] Air (Achsah)
22. [4:49 PM] Recitative (Othniel)
23. [4:50 PM] Duet (Achsah & Othniel)
24. [4:53 PM] Recitative (Othniel)
25. [4:54 PM] Chorus of Israelites
    [set ends 4:55 PM; applause for a minute or two, then break]

[5:21 PM tuning; soloists return]

1. [5:23 PM] [Nick & soloists enter to applause]
2. [5:24 PM] Recitative (Joshua)
3. [5:25 PM] Joshua & Chorus of Israelites
4. [5:30 PM] Recitative (Caleb)
5. [5:30 PM] Air (Caleb)
6. [5:34 PM] Air (Achsah)
7. [5:37 PM] Recitative (Joshua)
8. [5:37 PM] Joshua & Chorus of Israelites
9. [5:39 PM] Recitative (Caleb)
10. [5:40 PM] Chorus of Israelites
11. [5:43 PM] Recitative (Joshua)
12. [5:43 PM] Joshua & Chorus of Israelites
13. [5:46 PM] Recitative (Othniel)
14. [5:47 PM] Air (Othniel)
15. [5:51 PM] Recitative (Achsah)
16. [5:51 PM] Air (Achsah)
17. [5:54 PM] Recitative (Caleb, then Othniel)
18. [5:55 PM] Recitative (Caleb, then Othniel)
19. [5:55 PM] Air (Othniel)
20. [5:59 PM] Recitative (Joshua)
21. [6:00 PM] Joshua & Chorus of Israelites
    [set ends 6:02 PM; applause, then a minute or two pause instead of a full break]

1. [6:05 PM] Chorus of Israelites
2. [6:08 PM] Air (Achsah)
3. [6:11 PM] Recitative (Joshua and Caleb)
4. [6:13 PM] Air (Caleb)
5. [6:17 PM] Chorus of Israelites
6. [6:20 PM] Recitative (Othniel and Caleb)
7. [6:21 PM] Air (Othniel)
8. [6:23 PM] Chorus of Israelites
9. [6:25 PM] Recitative (Joshua)
10. [6:26 PM] Chorus of Israelites
11. [6:28 PM] Recitative (Caleb, Othniel, Achsah)
12. [6:29 PM] Air (Achsah)
13. [6:31 PM] Recitative (Othniel)
14. [6:32 PM] Duet (Othniel & Achsah)
15. [6:34 PM] Recitative (Caleb)
16. [6:35 PM] Chorus of Israelites
    [show ends 6:36 PM; applause for a few minutes, then all off]

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

• Paul Avril: horn;
• Elizabeth Blumenstock: violin;
• Danny Bond: bassoon;
• Phoebe Carrai: cello;
• David Daniel Bowes: viola;
• Lisa Grodin: principal viola;
• Paul Hale: cello;
• Maria Ionia Caswell: viola;
• R.J. Kelley: principal horn;
• Katherine Kyme: concertmaster, violin;
• Tyler Lewis: violin;
• Anthony Martin: principal second violin;
• Nicholas McGegan: conductor, music director;
• Carla Moore: violin;
• Maxine Nemerovski: violin;
• Ellie Nishi: viola;
• Gonzalo X. Ruiz: oboe;
• Marc Schachman: principal oboe;
• Andrew Schwartz: bassoon;
• Sandra Schwartz: violin;
• William Skeen: cello;
• Timothy Spears: contrabass;
• Noah Strick: violin;
• Tanya Tomkins: principal cello;
• Hanneke van Proosdij: harpsichord;
• Jolianne von Einem: violin;
• Lisa Weiss: violin;
• Gabrielle Wunsch: violin;
• Laurie Young Stevens: violin;
• Kristin Zoernig: principal contrabass.

Philharmonia Chorale

• Angela Arnold: soprano vox;
• Jennifer Ashworth: soprano vox;
• John Bischoff: bass vox;
• Randall Bunnell: bass vox;
• Daniel Cromeenes: alto vox;
• Matthew Curtis: tenor vox;
• Elliot Franks: alto vox;
• Kevin Gibbs: tenor vox;
• Jimmy Kansau: tenor vox;
• Claire Kelm: soprano vox;
• David Kurtenbach: tenor vox;
• Bruce Lamott: director;
• Katherine McKee: alto vox;
• James Monios: bass vox;
• Mark Mueller: tenor vox;
• Daniel Pickens-Jones: bass vox;
• Chad Runyon: bass vox;
• Jonathan Smucker: tenor vox;
• Eric Tuan: alto vox;
• Ian Walker: bass vox;
• Heidi Waterman: alto vox;
• Jacque Wilson: alto vox;
• Helene Zindarsian: soprano vox;
• Angelique Zuluaga: soprano vox.

Musically, tonight's performance was excellent, but ethically, it was too big of a stretch for me to move from the heavily anti-war sentiments of last night's Krono's gig to the pomp and vigour of the pro-empire-building piece built upon a Biblical tale of bringing destruction and woe to the infidels. It was tough to suck it up and listen to the music as something intrinsically rewarding and worthy of my attention for it's artistic merit when the message of the libretto clashed so stridently against my personal belief that religious war is a tautology and empire-building the work of glory-seeking madmen incapable of acting with true humanity.

Full Score

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!