Mercury Baroque Gives Free Labor Day Performance 9/4

On Saturday, September 4 at 8:00pm, Houston's Mercury Baroque Orchestra offers a fun, FREE, family-friendly activity: Brandenburg in the Park! For this exciting, informal concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre, Mercury Baroque will perform four of the six Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach. These famed concertos are recognized and loved the world over and have earned the reputation as some of the finest music of the Baroque era.

Mercury Baroque performs using period accurate instruments, giving the audience a unique chance to hear what these concertos would have sounded like in Bach's own time. Mercury Baroque has been hailed all over the world for their passionate and lively performances. Brandenburg in the Park is FREE to attend and no tickets are necessary. More information about this performance can be found online at www.mercurybaroque.org or by phone at (713) 533-0080.

Mercury last performed Bach's Brandenburg Concertos in 2008 to a near sell-out crowd at the Wortham Center. This September, they are happy to bring their popular program to a wider audience at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. "What this concert provides," says Antoine Plante, Mercury's Artistic Director, "is a fun, free, family-friendly activity that is accessible to everyone! It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy world-class music without leaving town and without spending money." Covered seating is available at the Miller Outdoor Theatre, but perhaps a more relaxing way to enjoy the performance is on a picnic blanket under the stars with your family and friends.

Bach first wrote his Brandenburg Concertos around 1720, dedicating them to Christian Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, after his "...Highness took some pleasure in the little talents which Heaven [had] given [Bach] for Music." Ironically, Christian Ludwig didn't have the musician's necessary to perform Bach's concertos and the music was left collecting dust in the Margrave's music library.
Upon Ludwig's death in 1734 the manuscripts were sold for today's equivalent of just about $20 before being re-discovered in 1849 and published the next year. Now the Brandenburg Concertos are regarded as some of the finest music of the Baroque era and are highly recognizable as a result of their usage in television and movies.

Now in its 10th Season, Mercury Baroque has charmed audiences and critics the world over with its passionate and exciting performances of Baroque music on period accurate instruments. Originally founded as a chamber ensemble, Mercury has since grown into a full orchestra of young, dynamic musicians, performing a subscription series of concerts in downtown Houston, other Houston-area communities and touring both domestically and internationally. In addition to frequent performances, Mercury Baroque is also dedicated to educating future audiences and training the city's future musicians. Mercury's educational outreach programs have reached more than 10,000 children in the past 5 years alone.

J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2-5
Mercury Baroque Ensemble

Antoine Plante, Artistic Director
Tickets: FREE!
For more information:
www.mercurybaroque.org
(713) 533-0080

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