Upper Valley Baroque
Our speakers today were Jo Shute and Allan Wieman, two of the three founders of Upper Valley Baroque.
Upper Valley Baroque was founded in 2021. The third founding member is artistic director, Filippo Ciabatti. From Ciabatti’s biography:
Praised for his “sensitive and nuanced” musicianship and for delivering performances “with admirable sweep and tension,” Filippo Ciabatti is a dynamic and versatile conductor who enjoys a multifaceted career.
Jo Shute
Allan Wieman
We learned from Jo that in addition to working with Upper Valley Baroque, Ciabatti serves as Assistant Conductor of Boston Baroque, the first conductor to be named to that position in the renowned ensemble’s 50-year history; Music Director of the Opera Company of Middlebury; a guest conductor at Opera North (NH) and the Lyric Theatre at Illinois. In addition, Ciabatti is the Director of Orchestral and Choral Programs at the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College.
To start the presentation, Jo Shute, shared a video of a recent concert.
Click Here to see the video…enjoy the music!
The mission of Upper Valley Baroque is to bring the highest quality Baroque music to the Upper Valley. Jo shared that it adds to our cultural life in the Upper Valley that until now had limited Baroque musical offering. Upper Valley Baroque offers three Masterworks concerts and two to three chamber concerts each season.
The concerts feature Baroque period instruments.
Artistic Director Filippo Ciabatti drives the artistic vision of Upper Valley Baroque and some of the best professional musicians available from Boston, New York, and beyond come to work and play for Ciabatti.
They rely on community-based support for volunteers, hosts, donors. They strive to build relationships between musicians and local residents.
Upper Valley Baroque provides learning experiences for all: classes, lectures, panel discussions, open rehearsals, complimentary tickets for students
Jo shared the following information about Baroque music:
What is Baroque music?
• Western Classical music from 1600 – 1750
• Started in Italy with the stile moderno (as opposed to the stile antico) that emphasized:
• Solo lines
• Polarity of bass and melody (the basso continuo)
• Harmony (i.e., keys)
• Counterpoint (combining multiple musical lines into a harmony. Each line keeps its identity while working within a harmonic whole. Multiple lines are harmonically interdependent, while independent in rhythm and melodic contour
• Emergence of string instruments as primary instruments in compositions.
• Woodwinds moved into the orchestra
• Expansion of high-quality secular music in addition to sacred music
• New forms of vocal music: opera, cantata, oratorio
•New forms of Instrumental music: sonata, concerto, and overture.
Who were some of the great Baroque composers?
Italy
Claudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643) Orfeo,
Vespers Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Gloria, Four Seasons
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Jephté Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736) Stabat Mater, Magnificat
France
Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) Le bourgeois gentilhomme
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704) Te Deum, Messe de Minuit Jean-
Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) Operas, harpsichord pieces
Francois Couperin (1668-1733) Harpsichord pieces
Northern Europe
Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) Musikalische Exequiem
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Dido and Aeneas, The Fairy Queen Georg
Telemann (1681-1767) Tafelmusik
J.S. Bach (1685-1750) Mass in B minor, St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Brandenburg Concertos Georg
Frideric Handel (1685 to 1759) Messiah, Water Musi
Allan then provided information about the various partnerships that have been established the Lebanon Opera House, Claremont Opera House and Chandler Opera House (Randolph).
Allan provided info about the concerts that have been help at the Lebanon Opera House, and that there will be three additional concerts there. Lebanon Opera House is their primary venue building. This is a listing of previous and upcoming concerts:
• Bach’s Mass in B minor, May 2022: Audience of 585
• Bach’s St. John Passion, May 2024: Audience of 500
• Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, January 2025 : Audience of 620
• Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, April 2025
• Three concerts scheduled at LOH in season five (September 2025, January 2026, March 2026)
Allan shared the following reviews of Upper Valley Baroque:
Praise for Upper Valley Baroque
“Sunday’s performance [of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos] was a joy from beginning to end. The performances were spirited, touching — deftly performed with a deep sense of ensemble and understanding of the music………Ciabatti and Upper Valley Baroque are becoming an established central Vermont and New Hampshire ensemble, delivering expert and rewarding performances of Baroque masterpieces. The weekend’s enthusiastic response in Lebanon, Randolph and Rutland makes that clear.” Jim Lowe, Arts Editor, The Rutland Herald
“Thank you so much for this incredible experience; I loved working with all of the talented musicians! You have built something so incredibly special, and have given so much to your community. I can only hope to return to play again!” Upper Valley Baroque Musician
“I am glad to be able to contribute to Upper Valley Baroque; its presence makes an enormous contribution to my life here.” Upper Valley Baroque host
Allan and Jo invited us to come hear our upcoming concerts:
- Dialogues and Devotions: Great Baroque Duets Upper Valley Baroque bass soloist Paul Max Tipton is joined by soprano Paulina Francisco to perform beautiful Baroque duets, accompanied by a virtuosic trio on period instruments. It will be Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 7pm: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Hanover NH
- Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 2pm: North Chapel, Woodstock VT Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato Handel’s masterwork – a dramatic setting of texts inspired by John Milton and William Shakespeare – explores joyful, sad, and “moderate” musings. In English, featuring renowned soprano soloist Amanda Forsythe.
- Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 3pm: Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph VT
- Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 3pm: Lebanon Opera House, Lebanon, NH A Bach Family Affair: Organ Music by J. S. Bach and His Circle performed by James Welch on the CCDC organ Guest organist James Welch plays music by Bach and those important to him: a teacher, his children, his students, his followers, his publisher, and his wife. The stories that accompany these composers reveal new insights into the importance of Bach’s music.
- Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 7pm: Church of Christ at Dartmouth College, Hanover NH Tickets for these concerts are available at: www.uppervalleybaroque.org/concerts or by calling UVB at 203-240-116
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