46th Subscription Concert Season ~ 2020-2021
”GREAT NAMES”
Frederick Renz is planning his trademark combination of the traditional and the unusual for the 2020-2021 season. Many great names are in the mix, and not just the expected ones: instead of one Mozart and one Haydn, there will be two apiece; and no fewer than six Bachs.
“We can learn a great deal from hearing not only the works of the masters, but works they may have heard or studied as they perfected their art,” says Maestro Renz. “Whether from a family relation or, as in the case of our Telemann program, a tavern in Silesia, such inspiration prompts an artistic response unique to each composer. There will be fascinating discoveries.”
I. BACH COUSINS: Luminous Dynasty ~ baroque orchestra
Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 7:30 PM
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Central Park West at 68th St.
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Music was the Bach “family business” for two centuries. Johann Sebastian (1685-1750), and to some extent four of his sons, all have a place on contemporary concert stages. However, family members from J.S.’s generation and earlier – J. Ludwig (1677-1731), J. Bernhard (1676-1749), J. Michael (1648-1694), J. Christoph (1642/3-1703), and Heinrich (1615-1692) – produced works that stand on their own merits, and provide perspective on the legacy of one of western music’s most revered composers. Frederick Renz leads EM/NY’s baroque chamber orchestra.
(2 hours - with intermission)
To Be Rescheduled
II. ANGELI ANGLICUS: Christesmas in Anglia
~ mixed voices and instruments
Saturday, December 12th, 2020 at 7:30 PM - This performance only at First Church of Christ, Scientist, Central Park West at 68th St.
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With additional performances...
Sunday, December 13th, 2020 at 2:00 PM,
Sunday, December 22nd, 2020 at 2:00 PM,
​two performances Christmas Day...
Thursday, December 25th, 2020 at 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM,
and Sunday, December 27th, 2020 at 2:00 PM
EM/NY’s perennially sold-out holiday concerts at the grand Cathedral of St. John the Divine are a cherished annual tradition. This year, Maestro Renz and his men’s choir focus on Renaissance England, with caroles, noels, motets and other works by William Cornysh (1465-1523), Henry VIII (1491-1547), Christopher Tye (ca. 1500-1573), William Byrd (1540-1623), John Dowland (1562-1626) and Thomas Ravenscroft (ca. 1582-1635), accompanied by recorders, lute and viola da gamba, which will also offer instrumental delights. Perennially stellar performances - order tickets early before shows sell out!
(75 min - no intermission)
To Be Rescheduled
III. A FAMILY AFFAIR: The Haydns and the Mozarts ~ classical orchestra
Saturday, March 6th, 2021 at 7:30 PM
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Central Park West at 68th St.
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The Bachs weren’t the only clan to make their mark on music history. Maestro Renz leads EM/NY’s classical orchestra in symphonic works from two illustrious 18th-century musical dynasties: the Haydns – Joseph (1732-1809) and his well-respected but overshadowed younger brother Michael (1737-1806); and the Mozarts – Leopold (1719-1787) and his prodigious son Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791). Alongside their better-known kinsmen, Leopold Mozart and Michael Haydn bear favorable comparison and offer familial perspective.
(2 hours - with intermission)
To Be Rescheduled
IV. TELEMANN À LA POLONAISE: From Folk to Formal ~ chamber orchestra
Saturday, May 8th, 2021 at 7:30 PM
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Central Park West at 68th St.
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Baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) first encountered folk dance tunes from Poland in his early 20’s, and compiled many of them in a volume known today as the Rostock Manuscript, discovered only in 1987. He drew a lifetime of inspiration from this material for numerous compositions “in the Polish style,” which he considered to be the equal of French, German and Italian styles. EM/NY’s baroque orchestra performs suites and concerti utilizing themes from this collection.
(2 hours - with intermission)
To Be Rescheduled
These events are made possible in part with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the generosity of EMF's Friends of Early Music.
The Venues:
First Church of Christ, Scientist
77 Central Park West at 68th Street, New York, NY 10023
(Performances on March 6th & May 8th, 2021)
EM/NY's new, “best kept secret,” Lincoln Square performance venue —
Near Lincoln Center, the First Church of Christ, Scientist faces Central Park at 68th St. and is reached via the M72, M10 and Columbus Avenue M7 & M11 bus lines; subways C or B to 72nd at Central Park West (70th St. exit) and the #1 to 66th at Broadway. Parking garages are available along 68th and 66th Streets.
For information regarding disability access call (212) 280-0330.
The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, (Chapel of Saint James)
1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street, New York, NY 10025
(Cathedral events & large gatherings discontinued until January 15, 2021)
Located in Morningside Heights, adjacent to the Columbia University campus, the Cathedral is easily reached by public transportation: Buses M4, M11, M104; Subway #1 to 110th Street & Broadway.
Parking is available in nearby garages on 110th, 112th, and 114th Streets.
Performances take place in the Cathedral's intimate Saint James Chapel. Our ticket table will be just outside the entrance to the Chapel. Tickets are available for purchase or pickup (Will Call) one half hour before curtain.
The Cathedral is wheelchair accessible via a ramp just north of the main entrance, off of Amsterdam Avenue below 113th Street. Please call the Visitor Center for additional information at (212) 316-7540.