Omfale & Hebe

The final concert of the spring series of Baroque Soirées will present another level of George Philipp Telemann’s diverse oeuvre. Like his German contemporaries, Telemann was also interested in French music – he was inspired by it in his work that attempted to combine the best elements of different national styles. He first became acquainted with French music at the court of Count Promnitz in Sorau, Lusatia, and even years later he said of his concerts that “they smell of France”. As a musician already widely recognized in Europe, he also visited France in person. He accepted an invitation from the best musicians in Paris and stayed in the city on the Seine for eight months. He used his stay, among other things, to publish the second series of the Paris Quartets. Telemann’s works inspired by French music, as well as those by his colleague from Hamburg, Reinhard Keiser, will be complemented by the incomparable Jean-Philippe Rameau. In the performance by the Collegium Marianum ensemble under the direction of Jana Semerádová you will be able to listen to works infused by the scents of France and inspired by the mythical women of Heracles – the fierce Omphale and beautiful Hebe.