| Musicians of the Globe - Kammermusik-Ensemble |
|
As well as working regularly with distinguished vocal soloists the nucleus of the group (a broken consort of violin, recorder, cittern, lute, bandora and bass viol) expands to include vocal ensembles and consorts of trumpets, cornetts, sackbuts, recorders, shawms, violins and viols with keyboards and percussion; and for later repertoire the ensemble becomes a full Baroque, Classical or Romantic orchestra with soloists and choir.
In consultation with such eminent musicologists and editors as Peter Holman, Andrew Pinnock, Michael Pilkington and Peter Downey the group explores a wide repertoire ranging from the 16th to the 19th century, much of it English and much of it inspired by Shakespeare.
Part of Sam Wanamaker's dream was that the Musicians of the Globe should be heard all over the world as ambassadors for Shakespeare and his theatre. So although members of the ensemble often take part in Globe productions the Musicians of the Globe are always available throughout the season for appearances elsewhere.
The Musicians of the Globe made their Purcell Room debut in March 1994. The concert was such a success that they were immediately invited to make three broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and to give a concert in the 1995 Purcell Room lunchtime series. They also appeared at the Seville, Aldeburgh and South Bank Summer Early Music Festivals. In June 1997 they began a summer concert series at the Globe, one of which was recorded for BBC Radio 3, and brass, wind and percussion players from the ensemble provided the music for Richard Olivier's production of Henry V.
Highlights of more recent seasons included The Merchant of Venice, Anthony and Cleopatra and four fully-staged performances of Blow's opera Venus and Adonis at the Globe; a live broadcast for the BBC World Service; a live appearance on Brian Kay's Sunday morning radio show; The Tempest for the City of London Festival; tours of Japan, Italy and Sicily; performances for the South Bank Centre, Turin, Ravenna and Flanders Festivals; Dido and Aeneas at the City of London Festival and concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall (BBC Proms), Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barcelona's Palau de la Musica and Rome's Accademia Filarmonica. Upcoming tours include a return visit to Japan and a residency at the Stratford Ontario Summer Music Festival in July 2002.
The Musicians of the Globe have recorded 7 CDs for Philips Classics ranging from Shakespeare's Musick and bawdy ballads of Shakespeare's time through a Restoration Tempest, Purcell's Fairy Queen, Timon of Athens and Dido and Aeneas to Linley's Shakespeare Ode and Henry Rowley Bishop's music for the early 19th-century Shakespeare revivals at Covent Garden. Their very first US CD release in 1997 was nominated for the coveted Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance.