Mysterious Barricades: Orchestra Of The Swan

July 20th at 22:00 – 23:00 BST

From our 21st century perspective we might be inclined to see baroque composers as similar beings to their romantic successors: conduits for absolute freedom; troubled artists delving deep into their souls and psyches to reveal profound universal and personal insights. But Baroque composers actually had more in common with master craftspeople, producing work at the behest of the church, the state or the aristocracy; artistic freedom was, on the whole, not an urgent consideration. Their work was shaped by an astute awareness of the predilections of their wealthy patrons and the need to remain in employment. Development and innovation did occur, however, because the great baroque composers were able to negotiate the line between conforming to a particular style – dance suites, oratorios, sonatas or elegant background music – and individual expression, which shone brightly despite perceived restrictions of form.

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