Classical Tuesdays in Old Town Tacoma: Dancing with the Sun King
Free
- Henry Lebedinsky, harpsichord
- Tekla Cunningham, baroque violin
- Adaiha MacAdam-Somer, viola da gamba
- Anna Mansbridge, dance
François Couperin — Selected works
André Campra — Selected works
Theobaldo di Gatti — Selected works
Harpsichordist Henry Lebedinsky will lead the ensemble in a performance of the music and dance of the court of Louis XIV. Also known as the Sun King, or Louis the Great, he was King of France from 1643 to 1715. In his early years he live at the Louvre (the royal palace of that time), where he established the splendor and the protocol that was to define the Grand Siecle. In 1682, King Louis moved his court – and its fashionable music and decorum – to Versailles. Throughout his live Louis enjoyed dancing and playing the guitar.
The musicians will perform music by Lully, Couperin, Campra, and Gatti, and Anna will demonstrate dances appropriate to the court of the Sun King's reign.
About Henry Lebedinsky, harpsichord
About Tekla Cunningham, baroque violin
Baroque violinist Tekla Cunningham delights in bringing the music of the baroque, classical and romantic eras to life with vivid and expressive historically informed performances.
Praised as "a consummate musician whose flowing solos and musical gestures are a joy to watch", her performances have been described as "ravishingly beautiful" and "stellar". Her greatest musical love is music of the baroque and chamber music of all stripes, though she can’t seem to quit Johannes Brahms. She is co-artistic director of Pacific MusicWorks in Seattle, artist-in-residence at the University of Washington and founder and director of the Whidbey Island Music Festival.
Tekla plays regularly as concertmaster and principal player with the American Bach Soloists. Her new release 'Stylus Phantasticus' with Pacific MusicWorks is delighting critics. "Tekla is a marvel…an endlessly songful bird". Early Music America describes the recording as "played with verve, the music presented here reaffirms the old notion that instrumental music can have the flair of any theatrical spectacle. … a stellar vessel for the boldest showmanship".
Tekla plays on a violin made by Sanctus Seraphin in Venice in 1746.
http://www.teklacunningham.com/About Adaiha MacAdam-Somer, viola da gamba
Multi-instrumentalist Adaiha MacAdam-Somer is currently adjunct professor of cello at Linfield University in Portland. She is equally at home on the cello, baroque cello, and all branches of the viola da gamba family. She performs regularly with a variety of ensembles, including Portland Baroque Orchestra and Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and serves as artistic director of Voice of the Viol.
https://orpheuspdx.org/people/adaiha-mcadam-somer/About Anna Mansbridge, dance
Anna Mansbridge, Artistic Director of Seattle Early Dance, is from the U.K., where she studied early dance. She holds First Class Honors Degree in Dance and an MFA in Choreography and Performance from Mills College, CA. She has performed with Seattle Symphony, The Early Music Guild, and Cascade Early Music Festival.
http://www.seattleearlydance.org/anna.html