Tales of Baroque

Ahead of the largest ever Brandenburg production, Notre-Dame , join host Hugh Ronzani and esteemed guest Dr Alan Maddox to explore over 800 years of spellbinding music history, including both an Australian première and a World première, spanning the construction of Notre-Dame de Paris to the present day.

After three years of trying, Leila Schayegh has finally reached Australian shores to Brandenburg concert goers’ and musicians’ delight!  Join host Hugh Ronzani to get to know more about the “poet” behind Poet of the Violin and the music of Biber, Bach and Leclair.

Leila Schayegh has finally arrived in Sydney and opening for Poet of the Violin is fast approaching! Host Hugh Ronzani shares the microphone once more with Dr Alan Maddox to discuss violins, violinists, and seminal violin and Baroque orchestral repertoire — but this time not Vivaldi. Hear more about this wonderful program featuring Johann Sebastian Bach, but also the music of Jean-Marie Leclair, Z...

Who is The Lover ?  Ahead of opening night and Théotime Langlois de Swarte’s Australian debut — where all will finally be revealed — Hugh Ronzani is joined by Dr Alan Maddox to explore the history and music that features in this spellbinding program of English and Italian music from around the turn of the 17th century.

Ottoman Baroque is a celebration of culture and music and will be a unique concert experience, but most of the music has never been heard or recorded before. Host Hugh Ronzani (also responsible for composing music for much of the program) is joined by Dr Alan Maddox to discuss Rumi, mysticism, Ottoman instruments, setting poetry to music, and Ali Ufki — a key musical figure of the Baroque period w...

A familiar face and a phenomenal presence on stage, Concertmaster Shaun Lee-Chen joins host Hugh Ronzani to share some thoughts about JS Bach, his various roles with Brandenburg, inspirations, and his new interpretation Antonio Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons .

As opening night approaches for Gloria & The Four Seasons , Alan is in Europe!?!  Host Hugh Ronzani is joined online by Dr Alan Maddox for a very fresh account of Baroque vestiges in the floating city that Antonio Vivaldi called home, as well as a broad discussion about two of the Venetian composer’s most-loved works today.

Guest soloist Elinor Frey has come to Australian shores from Montreal for the first time with not one, but two cellos.  She joins host Hugh Ronzani to share her passion for lesser-known Italian and French cello music, her tips for writing cadenzas, and how all roads lead to Giovanni Battista Sammartini.

As the musicians rehearse Spanish Steps with guest soloist Elinor Frey ahead of opening night, host Hugh Ronzani is joined by Dr Alan Maddox for an in-depth discussion revolving around cellos, the Galant period, and two iconic composers and paragons during their respective lifetimes—Luigi Boccherini and Giovanni Battista Sammartini.

Yes, it is that time of year again!?! Host Hugh Ronzani is joined by one of the key artists without whom Noël! Noël! and many other concerts featuring the Brandenburg Choir would not be possible—Répétiteuse and Brandenburg Chamber Organist Heidi Jones. Hugh and Heidi discuss the important role of a repetiteur, but also moments of glory featuring the orchestra’s most powerful instrument and some of...

Following two cancellations, Jonas Zschenderlein is finally going to be able to make his live concert debut in Australia and Paul Dyer’s personal tribute to Bach will come to fruition! Ahead of opening night at the Melbourne Recital Centre, join host Hugh Ronzani and esteemed guest Dr Alan Maddox as they get a second chance to dive into Johann Sebastian Bach’s life story and musical universe with...

The term ‘soprano’ is familiar to most, but have you heard of a male soprano before? And how is this rare masculine voice type different to the voices of castrati, counter-tenors, and trebles? Join host Hugh Ronzani and esteemed guest Dr Alan Maddox as they discuss high voice types, Baroque superstars, Cleopatra, the Orpheus myth, rivalling opera companies in London, and some of the most powerful...

Nowadays, the name 'Bach' is synonymous with one person - Johann Sebastian Bach. However, this Baroque genius was but one member of a family musical dynasty spanning seven generations of creative brilliance. This episode, host Hugh Ronzani and esteemed guest Dr Alan Maddox dive into a selection of tales and musical masterpieces from Western music's most prodigious family, the Bachs.

What makes Mozart's concerto for basset clarinet so captivating? Is it the melody? The tone of the instrument? Or perhaps our contemporary familiarity with this work? Despite Craig Hill's unfortunate late cancellation, join host Hugh Ronzani and esteemed guest Dr Alan Maddox for their first look at Mozart together, replete with tales from a time of high infant mortality and astonishing music-makin...

Have you ever wondered what life was like at the French court? Do you know where ballet came from? Join host Hugh Ronzani and esteemed guest Dr Alan Maddox for a deep dive into over 200 years of music history, and extraordinary story behind Fauré's Requiem.

Naples, Florence, Rome, Venice - join host Hugh Ronzani and Sydney's own Caldara expert, guest Dr Alan Maddox, as they delve into the history and music of these four cities at the heart of a Baroque pasticcio imagined by Paul Dyer.

With the imminent return to the concert hall just over the horizon, Hugh Ronzani is joined for a wonderful tale of Baroque music-making and carol singing with sublime soprano Belinda Montgomery, the Brandenburg Choir's longest-serving member. Hugh and Lindy revisit Noël! Noël! music past, present and future as part of celebrations for 21 years of festive magic in 2021.

The tale behind Baroque in Bloom starts at Cremona, continues through Lucca, then Bologna, Rome and finally Venice via Dresden. Join Hugh Ronzani and esteemed guest Dr Alan Maddox for this very special extended episode of Tales of Baroque, where they discuss the origins of the modern violin and several fundamental Baroque music forms.

Who was Johann Sebastian Bach, and who is he for us now? The Brandenburg's Hugh Ronzani is joined by Dr Alan Maddox to discuss the far-reaching influence of arguably the greatest composer of all time, in this special extra-long episode of Tales of Baroque.

In this episode, Hugh Ronzani and Dr Alan Maddox discuss the 'higher angels' that fleetingly floated above the music of Handel and Carl Heinrich Graun on the Baroque stage, and the real importance of these superstars of the past.

The Brandenburg's Hugh Ronzani talks to Dr Alan Maddox about Baroque Italy, Corelli, the Concerto Grosso form and more.

With Xavier de Maistre returning to woo audiences in Vivaldi's Venice, Dr Alan Maddox also returns to share the microphone with Hugh Ronzani. Together they take a look at life, and harps, in Venice during the affluence of the Baroque period.

After five wonderful and varied concert series this year celebrating thirty years of Baroque music excellence with the Brandenburg, Paul Dyer joins Hugh Ronzani on Tales of Baroque for the first time to talk about the year that has been, Noël! Noël!, and what to look forward to in Season 2020. A very special and festive episode indeed!

Dr Alan Maddox returns for another engaging conversation with the Brandenburg's Hugh Ronzani. In this episode of Tales of Baroque Alan and Hugh cover the development of program music in the Western musical tradition, including Telemann's Water Music and Vivaldi's picturesque Four Seasons.

Listen to Dr Alan Maddox in conversation with the Brandenburg's Hugh Ronzani in an in-depth conversation of Next Generation Baroque. In this episode of Tales of Baroque, Alan and Hugh delve into the challenges facing young Baroque musicians, and how we learn from the 'Greats'.