Liturina by Telemann, Corelli, A., Couperin, Händel, Nuo (2023/2023), St John's Smith Square, London, United Kingdom

Liturina presents ‘Ultramontane: A Journey Across Enlightenment Europe’, a programme exploring the interaction and juxtaposition of different national musical styles in late baroque chamber music. By the end of the 17th century, there was a rich exchange of distinct musical innovations from across Europe, including the courtly dance types and language-based ornamentation from France, the dynamic concerto style and tonal drive of Italian music, and the German tradition of counterpoint. This programme features trio sonatas and quartets by Telemann, Handel, Corelli and Couperin, with Couperin’s ‘Apotheose de Corelli’, at the heart of the concert. The work describes Corelli’s ascend of Mount Parnassus, and is a symbolic point of connection for these different national styles, just as the Alpine Mountain range connects these specific countries geographically.