Historical Concerts

By Matt Kettmann

Did you ever know that German chamber
music from the 17th and 18th centuries was a big hit in places like
Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Guangzhou, Macao, and Taipei?
Neither did I, but that’s been the touring schedule for the past
couple weeks for Musica Antiqua Köln, the Grammy-nominated ensemble
founded by conservatory school kick-out Reinhard Goebel that comes
to town on November 5.

More than 30 years since he began, Goebel’s still a renowned
classicist, keeping the traditions of his likeminded countrymen
pure and remaining the go-to guy for those who want to know what
folks like Bach and Beethoven really sounded like.

And lucky for the Bach-heads, the two concerts on Sunday at 2
p.m. and 5 p.m. are titled Johann Sebastian Bach and His Time.
Specifically, the ensemble will draw from the works of Johann David
Heinichen, Jan Dismas Zelenka, and Georg Philipp Telemann while
playing away at their various oboes, violins, viola, and basso
continuo. (Now there’s a classical mouthful!)

Better yet, although the group is coming at the behest of UCSB’s
Arts & Lectures, the performance will take place at Christ the
King Chapel, within the halls of the former St. Anthony’s Seminary.
It’s one of the few off-campus offerings held at historic sites,
letting the music of the past meld with classical architecture to
make for a full sensory experience. Bach would have wanted no
less.

Musica Antiqua Köln comes to Christ the King Chapel on Sunday,
November 5, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Call 893-3535 for tickets.