In the 17th century, Europe experienced a series of radical transformations, including a cultural revolution in music. Composers began to create works of dramatic oppositions and vivid emotions, in contrast to the smooth tapestry of Renaissance polyphony.
Tonight’s concert is an examination of this modern music, as it was invented by virtuoso instrumental composers ?rst in Italy and then in Germany. It is also an exploration of their new invention, the sonata: a pure instrumental work, a piece simply meant to be “sounded,” with no agenda but the imagination of the composer—and no standard formal shape except the passionate give-and-take of friends in conversation.
The celebrated baroque ensemble Quicksilver makes their Miller debut with a program exploring the “new” invention of the sonata.
