11 Feb 2005

Early Opera in Seattle

The Early Music Guild, an indispensable part of Seattle’s period-music scene for more than two decades, every once in a while steps back from presenting the best and the brightest musicians from around the world and produces extravaganzas of its own. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, in 1997, the guild presented a stellar reading of Handel’s “Carmelite Vespers” at St. James Cathedral, with Andrew Parrott leading the large forces. More recently was a weekend of Monteverdi chamber operas.

Early Music Guild looks to the dawn of English opera

Friday, February 11, 2005

By R.M. CAMPBELL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER MUSIC CRITIC

The Early Music Guild, an indispensable part of Seattle's period-music scene for more than two decades, every once in a while steps back from presenting the best and the brightest musicians from around the world and produces extravaganzas of its own.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, in 1997, the guild presented a stellar reading of Handel's "Carmelite Vespers" at St. James Cathedral, with Andrew Parrott leading the large forces. More recently was a weekend of Monteverdi chamber operas.

Over the next few days at the Falls Theatre at ACT, the guild is offering English opera at its beginning -- John Blow's "Venus and Adonis" -- and a companion piece, Henry Purcell's ode "Welcome to All the Pleasures." Both were composed circa 1683.

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