Daniel Hope and Friends: AIR — A Baroque Journey by Ortiz, D., Händel, Falconieri, Von Westhoff, Matteis, Nicola, Vivaldi, Traditional, Leclair, J., Uccellini, S 03 nov 2018, No (2018/2018), Koerner Hall, Toronto, Canada

British violinist Daniel Hope returns to Koerner Hall with an outrageous romp through the baroque with a dazzling ensemble of virtuosi wandering minstrels. Hope is “among the best in the world as well as the most thoughtful, is as brilliant at Bach as Birtwistle” (The Observer). While the origins of the violin can be traced back thousands of years to Mongolia and India, it was the Italians, and most importantly Andrea Amati in the mid-sixteenth century, to whom we can almost certainly attribute the creation of the violin in its modern form. Arguably its greatest development was during the Baroque Era as violinists and composers went on a journey seeking more extravagant and original ways in which to express themselves on this fascinating new instrument. AIR sets out to trace one such Baroque journey. The program blends the simplest and at times most primitive forms of dance music with the most sophisticated and revolutionary compositions of the day.