Between Baroque and Modern Times

Behind the enigmatic pseudonym Mrs. Philharmonica lies an unknown female composer of the late Baroque period. Her London music publisher might suggest that she was English. In England, alongside Henry Purcell—whom his contemporaries called “Orpheus Britannicus”—there was also Nicola Matteis, a native of Italy who impressed London audiences with his virtuoso violin playing. The Bohemian composer Josef Mysliveček, on the other hand, was revered in Italy, particularly for his numerous operas. The Bohemian was also admired by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose Sinfonia concertante—composed in Salzburg in 1779 for solo violin and viola—will be performed in this concert in a version for septet. The link between the works of the Baroque and Classical periods is the American composer Caroline Shaw, born in 1982, whose string quartet Entr’acte is inspired by Joseph Haydn.