Introducing the Baroque Violin
Mon 5 Jun 2017
‘The gut strings make a more gutsy sound’
If you think a violin from the 18th Century is the same as one made yesterday, think again…
Violinist Huw Daniel reveals the differences between the baroque instrument and the modern one.
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Bach Goes to Prague
Wed 31 May 2017
This week Emily and Alex from our Development team took a bunch of OAE Patrons, some of the Orchestra’s most loyal supporters, to Prague. They discovered castles, stag dos, and a little bit of Bach. Emily tells the story:
Read MoreIntroducing the Baroque Flute
Fri 12 May 2017
“The wood makes the sound gentler and more… woody”
Meet the flute that our principal Lisa Beznosiuk uses for playing Bach, Handel, Rameau and people like that.
Read MoreIntroducing the Baroque Horn
Wed 3 May 2017
‘It’s quite a direct, unfiltered sound.’
OAE Principal Horn Roger Montgomery takes us through the Baroque Horn and shows us how it differs from the modern instrument.
Read MoreMad skillz from footballer turned harpsichordist Ottavio Dantone
Fri 28 Oct 2016
Catch him doing the harpsichord thing (no football planned as yet) with the OAE on Sunday at St John’s Smith Square. More info and book tickets
Read MoreBach: A Family Affair concert programme
Thu 27 Oct 2016
Here’s the Bach: A Family Affair programme. You can also pick up a physical copy free of charge at the concert.
Read MoreIntroducing Turning Points
Wed 29 Jun 2016
We’re an orchestra, so we love concerts. But because the traditional concert format is great for some people and not for others, we often ask ourselves the question, “how could concerts be different?” Ten years ago, we looked at the informal ways people used to listen to classical music and created The Night Shift, our rule-breaking late night format.
Read MoreFrom deep within the OAE archive #1: Bach’s double violin concerto
Fri 20 Nov 2015
Margaret Faultless introduces a 1990 recording from BBC Scotland featuring the first movement of Bach’s double violin concerto.
Spot current OAE players Alison Bury (soloist), Cathy Weiss, Richard Tunnicliffe, Annette Isserlis, and Margaret Faultless.
We perform the same piece at St John’s Smith Square on 24 November (with Margaret) and the West London Synagogue on 22 November.
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Pre-concert talk: performing the St Matthew Passion without a conductor
Wed 8 Apr 2015
If you were at one of our recent performances of Bach’s St Matthew Passion you will have noted the absence of a usually ubiquitous figure – the conductor.
Read MoreThrough the grapevine: St Matthew Passion
Tue 7 Apr 2015
Pats on backs all round for last week’s St Matthew Passion in London.
Read MoreSpeed Interview: Robin Blaze
Fri 27 Mar 2015
In the run-up to our St Matthew Passion concert, we interview counter-tenor Robin Blaze.
Read MoreBach: Maybe not such a misery after all
Thu 19 Mar 2015
When asked to name their ideal dinner party guests, who would really say JS Bach?
Read MoreJohann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
composer
His times: In Bach’s Germany, music was centred on the church which was unfailingly where its finest practitioners were found.
Read MoreCurrent Distractions
Thu 29 May 2014
In this week’s Current Distractions – surreal dogs, fun chocolate and a dormant crust of planetary mass that hasn’t spewed out anything hot in years.
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5 things you (probably) didn’t know about Handel
Fri 2 May 2014
As we prepare for Gamechangers: Mildly Rude? on 12 June at Queen Elizabeth Hall, we take a look at a few things you might not already now about Handel. Even Baroque superstars have secrets…
Read MoreGamechangers: A Forgotten Cello – Press Reactions
Thu 3 Apr 2014
Many of you joined us in Basingstoke on 19 March and at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on the 25th, to hear Sigiswald Kuijken and the Orchestra perform music from Bach, Corelli and Vivaldi on the long forgotten violoncello da spalla. It’s an instrument that tends to divide people and the press were no exception…
Read MoreSpeed Interview – Sigiswald Kuijken
Mon 24 Mar 2014
In the lead up to tomorrow’s concert featuring the violoncello da spalla, we spoke with director and violoncello da spalla player Sigiswald Kuijken.
Read MoreSigiswald Kuijken on Newsnight
Fri 14 Mar 2014
Many of you may have noticed Violoncello da spalla player Sigiswald Kuijken, on yesterday’s edition of Newsnight. Sigiswald joined Emily Maitless to play the show out with a rendition of Bach’s Bourrée No.1 from Suite No. 3 BWV 1009. For those of you who missed it, you can watch it below.
Read MoreFlash Sale – 3 days only
Fri 7 Mar 2014
We’re excited to announce a very limited 3 day flash sale event – allowing you to purchase best available bargain tickets for our next The Works event for just £10.*
Read MoreStruggling with Sound
Fri 29 Nov 2013
My ex-housemate has always liked Philip Glass, so I got us a couple of tickets to see him perform Music in Twelve Parts at Southbank Centre the other night.
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