Performing Arts of Maitland presents the Baroque Chamber Orchestra

“OK, lets take it under the tempo; from the top!” and so the rehearsal begins with maestro Alvaro Gomez conducting the Baroque Chamber Orchestra in Maitland. Every Tuesday night at 7:30 Performing Arts of Maitland’s newest ensemble has been preparing four period works from the 1600s for a premier concert at 3 p.m. May 16 at the Presbyterian Church in Maitland.

The members came together originally just to play the Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 3.

The principal viola Denese Richmond proposed that work since it features three viola parts and is one of the most outstanding works by Bach. He wrote it for a job interview to the Margrave of Brandenburg in a failed attempt to gain employment there. Mendelssohn popularized Bach’s works 100 years later and the concertos have been at the top of the classical charts ever since.

Well it turns out once you start with Bach, its easy to begin with Mozart, so we added his “Divertimento,” and then it seemed unfair not to turn to Telemann’s “Don Quixote” next. We had to make use of the Baroque organ that the church has, so of course we needed to add Albinoni’s “Adagio” at last.

Suddenly, we had brought Baroque music alive in Central Florida once again. It’s just hard to keep a good thing down. Come see the show. Proceeds to benefit PAM and the Winter Park Chamber Music Academy.