Tuesday, September 27
Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin, Great Concert Hall, 8.00 p.m.

 

Concert on the occasion of 30 years of diplomatic relations between Turkey and the Republic of Croatia

Izmir Baroque Ensemble

 

Programme:

Music of European and Ottoman courts

Gazi Giray Han (1554-1607)
Mahur Peşrev

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Piangero sin che l’onda del pianto, aria from the opera Orlando Furioso, RV 819

Ali Ufki Bey (1610-1675)
Sen oynadikça kademi Raksiyye Saç bagi takar saçma Raks
(Mecmua-i Saz u Soz)

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
I attempt from love’s sickness, aria from the opera The Indian Queen

Ali Ufki Bey (1610-1675)
Nikriz Peşrev

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Si dolce e’l tormento

Derviş Frenk Mustafa
Şeha zülfün beni divane kildi ‘Hüseyni Murabba
(Mecmua-i Saz u Soz)

Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682)
Sinfonia Avanti from the second act of the opera Le Gare dell’amor eroico

Zeffiretti che spiegate, aria from the oratorio Susanna

Ali Ufki Bey (1610-1675)
Nişabur Semai Efrenci

Uyan ey gözlerim gafletten uyan lrak ilahi
(Mecmua-i Saz U Soz)

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Strike the viol, aria from the Ode for the Birthday of Queen Mary II –
Come, ye sons of art, away

About the ensemble:

Izmir Barok Ensemble was founded by double bass and viola da gamba player Bulent Oral and violinist Hakan Ozaytekin, both Izmir State Opera artists, in 2008. After performing in chamber music concerts for nearly 25 years, the duo eventually succeeded to implement this ensemble that they had dreamed of. The ensemble started with three members, with the participation of harpsichordist Tuğçe Özaytekin, also Izmir State Opera artist. Atilla Oral, baroque flute player and soprano Linet Saul joined the ensemble later. Erica Fossi became the harpsichordist of the ensemble since 2011. The most remarkable feature of the ensemble is the being the first in Turkey to use baroque period instruments and perform with the baroque style.
Published in 2013, 16-18th century European and Ottoman Palace Music was the ensemble’s CD project, with the involvement of ottoman music performers, mezzo-soprano, Sinem Ozdemir, Çeng and Kanun player Şehvar Beşiroğlu, Rebab player Mehmet Refik Kaya and percussionist Huseyin Tuncel. The CD won the 2015 best classical CD of the year award from the Andante magazine Donizetti Classical Music Awards.
The ensemble has given many concerts in Turkey and abroad. Among several concerts in Turkey in Izmir, Eskisehir, Istanbul and Bodrum, there were D -Marin International Classical Music Festival concerts for two years in a row. The ensemble also performed in the first Izmir AASSM Baroque Music Days, a series of concerts with the participation of London Baroque from England and Mare Nostrum Italy. Among international concerts were Frankischer Sommer Festival in Nuremberg, Germany in the summer of 2011 where works by composers of the baroque period from Europe and the Ottoman Empire were performed. Same concept was performed together with the world-renowned viola da gamba player Hille Perl and lute player Lee Santana at the 2011 İzmir International Music Festival and 2013 Bremen Musicada -Tage der Alten Musik festival where it won great acclaim and was broadcasted live at the Bremen radio. The same concept was repeated at the Phaselis International Festival in 2014.
Published in 2013, 16-18th century European and Ottoman Palace Music was the ensemble’s CD project, with the involvement of ottoman music performers, mezzo-soprano, Sinem Ozdemir, Çeng and Kanun player Şehvar Beşiroğlu, Rebab player Mehmet Refik Kaya and percussionist Huseyin Tuncel. The CD won the 2015 best classical CD of the year award from the Andante magazine Donizetti Classical Music Awards.
Of the most important objectives of the ensemble is to popularize baroque music and composers with the instruments of the baroque period and lead the formation of new groups in this field. The ensemble researches and interprets European baroque music repertoire and composers as well as Ottoman music and composers of the same period. The performance of Ottoman composers’ works in Turkey or abroad, in line with the European music harmony principles will be the continuing mission of the ensemble.