January 24, 2008

Academy of Ancient Music to use period instruments to recreate classical sound for Purdue performance

The event is presented by Purdue Convocations as part of its Classics series.

Founded in 1973 by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood, the Academy of Ancient Music is named after an 18th century organization that was dedicated to the performance of "old" music - music composed at least a century earlier.

Today, using period instruments, which differ significantly from their modern counterparts, the 17 members of the Academy of Ancient Music recreate the original sonic qualities of baroque and classical works just as the composers intended, said Todd Wetzel, director of Purdue Convocations.

The orchestra's pioneering recordings under Hogwood include many baroque and classical orchestral pieces, from concertos and symphonies to opera and oratorio. These include the first recordings on period instruments of many works, such as Mozart's complete symphonies, and prize-winning opera recordings of Handel, Haydn and Mozart.

In 2006, Egarr, a harpsichordist, succeeded Hogwood as the group's music director. His past performances have ranged from 15th century organ arrangements to Dussek and Chopin on early pianos and Berg and Maxwell Davies on modern piano. As a soloist and chamber musician as well as a conductor, Egarr has worked with specialized ensembles and modern orchestras alike, and has performed extensively in major music festivals throughout Europe and Japan.

Egarr's first tour of the United States as the group's music director in April 2007 included a critically acclaimed debut with the orchestra at Carnegie Hall. His first recording directing the Academy of Ancient Music - Handel's Opus 3 sonatas - won praise on both sides of the Atlantic and was awarded the 2007 Gramophone Award for Baroque instrumental music, Wetzel said.

This season's performances with Egarr showcase the full scope of the Academy of Ancient Music's capabilities, from major choral works to Handel's Opus 1 sonatas; from Bach's Brandenburg Concertos to little-known pieces by Marini and Muffat. The Purdue program will feature Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D, Georg Frederic Handel's Concerto Grosso in A minor and Georg Philipp Telemann's Concerto in D major for flute.

Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are $26 for adults and $16 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Sources: Kerry Schutt Nason, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, (765) 494-5045, knason@purdue.edu

Todd Wetzel, (765) 494-9712, tewetzel@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Publication-quality photos of the Academy of Ancient Music are available at https://www.purdue.edu/convos/
academyimages.shtml

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