Arts & Events

As an opener to the season celebrating Nicholas McGegan's 30th year as music director of the Philharmonia Baroque, the orchestra will perform yet another of the remarkable musical rarities they're famous for, something more and more prevalent in their programming: Alessandro Scarlatti's lavish serenata, La Gloria di Primavera, composed in a month and performed an unusual three times in 1716 to celebrate the birth of Duke Leopold, heir to the Hapsburg throne in Vienna, whose father, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, had only recently acquired the Kingdom of Naples as part of the settlement of the War of the Spanish Succession. But Leopold died a few months later, and the work fell into obscurity, performed only in London five years later as a commercial venture by the composer's brother, Francesco. 

Never edited in its own time, never heard in the Western Hemisphere, The Glory of Spring will be performed by Philharmonia with McGegan conducting and singers Suzanne Ograjenseki, soprano; Diana Moore, mezzo-soprano; Clint van der Linde, counter-tenor; Nicholas Phan, tenor; Douglas Williams, baritone and members of the Philharmonia Chorale.  

Berkeley performances are at 7:30 this Sunday, October 4, and at 8 the following Saturday, October 10, with shows at 7:30 Wednesday, October 7 at Bing Audiorium, Stanford, and 8 p. m. Friday, October 9 at Herbst Theatre, San Francisco. Berkeley tickets are $25-$105. philharmonia.org