Happy Birthday, Handel!

To this day, the musical treasures bequeathed to us by George Frideric Handel, born on February 23, 1685, in Halle (Saale), have lost none of their radiance. His great music dramas continue to move and enchant audiences, while his more intimate compositions – such as the Sonatas op. 5 – reveal themselves as fascinating chamber-music masterpieces. The ensemble Il Parrasio – winner of the First Prize at the Baroque Violin Competition Premio Bonporti in Rovereto, Italy – brings these works to life in celebration of this illustrious musical anniversary.

True to its name, the ensemble draws inspiration from the Arcadian artistic movement, whose members once gathered in the “Bosco Parrasio” grove near Rome. Composers such as Corelli, Bononcini, and indeed Handel himself upheld the Arcadian ideals of beauty and harmony. In this spirit, the birthday concert, too, is Dedicated to that timeless dialogue between art and nature.