Magnificat 2011-2012 Concerts

Palo Alto • Berkeley • San Francisco

"Magnificat's best performances over the past decade and a half have always had a sense of adventure about them. Stewart has a knack for discovering little-known gems and introducing them with the excited air of a musical explorer." San Francisco Chronicle 04.27.10

To mark 20 seasons of concerts in the Bay Area, Magnificat featured timeless masterpieces by four composers that dominated the music of the 17th Century: Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Iacomo Carissimi, Heinrich Schütz and Claudio Monteverdi. In reviving some of our favorite programs, we celebrated not only the genius and sheer beauty of the music but the many extraordinary musicians who have contributed to Magnificat's success, many of whom also performed in the concerts.

For our programs we chose music that defined Magnificat's repertoire and style over the past two decades: Charpentier's eloquent setting of the Orpheus legend, Carissimi's poignant account of Jephte and his daughter, and selections from Monteverdi's monumental Eighth Book of Madrigals. The season also included a celebratory co-production of Schütz's beloved Christmas Story, as we joined in marking the 35th season of The San Francisco Early Music Society. After this celebratory season, Magnificat Artistic Director Warren Stewart took a sabbatical year, returning for performances of Charpentier's Nativity Pastorale in December 2012.