Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
from Burlesque de Quixotte
Featuring SF Conservatory of Music Baroque

Georg Philipp Telemann, one of the most prolific and inventive composers of the Baroque era, had a remarkable gift for storytelling through music. Nowhere is this more delightfully evident than in his Burlesque de Quixotte, a suite of orchestral dances inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ legendary novel Don Quixote.

Written around 1761, Telemann’s suite is a playful and affectionate musical portrait of the knight-errant and his hapless adventures.

In tonight’s first movement, Don Quixote’s awakening is depicted in a bleary minuet, a courtly dance. The second movement showcases Telemann’s mastery of evocative instrumental writing, which can be heard in the sighing violins that depict Quixote’s longing for Princess Dulcinea. Telemann’s imaginative use of musical gestures and vivid characterization anticipates the later programmatic works of composers like Berlioz and

Tonight’s performance of Burlesque de Quixotte reminds us that Telemann, often praised for his craftsmanship, was also a master of humor, heart, and theatrical flair — an artist who knew that sometimes, the best way to tell a story is to let the music smile.

J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Sarabande from Partita in D Minor 
Featuring SF Conservatory of Music Baroque; Soloist Alexandra Santon: baroque violin

Johann Sebastian Bach was an astonishingly prolific composer and a renown virtuoso keyboardist. He composed well over a thousand works that showcase a mastery of counterpoint, harmonic complexity, technical brilliance. His output, impact, and ingenious craft is unmatched in the history of Western music.

Baroque composers often composed suites based on dance forms popular in the era, all characterized by their national backgrounds and rhythmic differences. In its great variety, baroque dance styles resemble the richness of today’s myriad genres of electronic dance music.

During 1720, Bach delved into solo violin music. This was due to his position as Kapellmeister at the court of Leopold, during which he did not compose any church music.

Pérotin (circa early 13th Century)
from Sederunt Principes

In the soaring architecture of Notre-Dame Cathedral during the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a new musical language was born — and Pérotin stood at its forefront. A master of what we now call the Notre-Dame School, Pérotin expanded the possibilities of sacred music, creating works of astonishing grandeur and complexity. Sederunt Principes is one of his most remarkable achievements.

Composed for the Feast of St. Stephen, Sederunt Principes is a four-voice organum, a daring innovation for its time. Before Pérotin, sacred chant was typically sung in unison or in simple parallel motion. Pérotin shattered those boundaries, weaving multiple independent melodic lines into intricate, mesmerizing structures.

In Sederunt Principes, long-held chant tones underpin dazzling rhythmic interplay above, creating a texture both timeless and kinetic. Listeners might be struck by the surprising sense of movement: even though the foundational chant unfolds slowly, the upper voices dance and sparkle with rhythmic energy. It’s a work of profound ritual power, designed to magnify the splendor of the liturgy and lift the soul heavenward.

Tonight’s performance offers a rare opportunity to experience one of the great monuments of medieval art — a masterpiece that continues to resonate with awe and wonder, centuries after its first echo rang through the stone vaults of Paris.

Performed by SF Conservatory of Music Baroque
Violin 1: Alexandra Santon
Violin 2: Mateo Garza
Viola: Ruisi Doris Du, Zoe Yost
Violoncello: Octavio Mujica, Griffin Seuter, Vinci Chen, Ian Kitchen
Conductor: Corey Jamason