BARROCO | Perfection isn't the goal in art or nature, but rather depth and human feeling.
AWE 2025 | Barroco
Sunday 5 October, 2 & 5pm
Rippon Hall, Wānaka
Our Sunday programme at Rippon Hall, Barroco, takes its name from the Portuguese word meaning an imperfect pearl — something naturally flawed, yet no less beautiful for it. This idea runs through the programme: that perfection isn't the goal in art or nature, but rather depth and human feeling. We’ve got a fantastic line up of festival artists joining us for these performances, including Baroque specialists James Bush (cello) and Erin Helyard (harpsichord).
At its heart is the enduring friendship between Georg Philipp Telemann and George Frideric Handel. The two composers grew up together and remained close throughout their lives, even after Handel settled in London. They shared a love of music and flowers, and their letters are filled with warmth and humour. In this programme, their music is a conversation across time and distance: playful and deeply connected.
In between works by these composers, we will present the world premiere of the first of John Psathas’ AWE Commissions: a string quintet. This work draws on a thread that began last year with Schubert’s much-loved String Quintet in C, one of the most revered pieces in the chamber music repertoire. Like Schubert’s, John’s piece is scored for two cellos, a formation that’s not commonly attempted, and this work continues that exploration of rich, resonant textures and interwoven voices.
John will be speaking about this commission and introducing his work during our AWE+ Free Artist Talk which takes place between the two performances of Barroco.
Alongside this sits a work by Arvo Pärt, the Estonian composer who turns 90 this year. His deeply spiritual music has been a major influence on John Psathas, just as Benjamin Britten (a composer whose work featured in last year’s AWE programme) was an influence on Pärt, even though the two never met. These lines of admiration and musical inheritance are at the core of this programme, reaching all the way back to the 14th-century composer Guillaume de Machaut, whose work features the day before within the festival.
The evening concludes with a celebratory performance of Locatelli, bringing all of our festival artists together on stage. It’s the largest ensemble we’ve ever hosted at one time within our chamber music festival, a joyful, full-bodied finale that reflects the spirit of Barroco, alive with connection.