horngemslive logo

  • House_of_Time_800x400
    House_of_Time_800x400

Virtuoso baroque chamber ensemble

“Musically suave… volatile and beguiling.”
~ San Francisco Classical Voice 

Programs
Audio & Video
Press
Biography
Contact


PROGRAMS


Angels and Demons

Featuring Tartini's fiendish "Devil's Trill Sonata" (which Tartini claimed was played to him by the Devil himself, at the foot of his bed), House of Time's musical exploration of baroque mythic extremes also includes Biber's "Passacaglia" depicting the protection of a guardian Angel. In Vivaldi's "Damnation Sonata" the oboe becomes a wayward soul dragged down to hell. The program also includes trios by Arcangelo Corelli, Marin Marais (who "played like an angel"), and Antoine Forqueray (who "played like a demon"). This rousing and virtuosic performance is capped by a special edition of La Folia (The Madness of Spain). Hang on to your hats!


The Father, The Son, and The Godfather

This program features a musical exploration of an extended family of geniuses: Johann Sebastian Bach, his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, and Georg Philipp Telemann, the elder Bach's friend and CPE's godfather. You'll hear sublime and intricate chamber music by JS Bach, the beloved Trio in G Minor for Oboe and Violin as well as solo fantasias by Telemann, and the witty Sanguineus et Melancholicus by the younger Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.


1685: Year of Genius

In the year 1685 lightning struck not twice but thrice, with the births of three of the greatest composers of the baroque era. The endless wit and invention of the Italian master's keyboard sonatas is the perfect foil for the towering chamber music of the German giants. Featuring Handel's "Dresden" Trio in G minor, Bach's trio, BWV1028, for oboe d'amore and violin, and the suite for unaccompanied cello in D minor.


Mozart in Prague

Beginning in 1787 the city of Prague worked its magic on Mozart and deeply influenced his later works. House of Time explores this love affair with a program including a rarely heard setting of the Overture to Don Giovanni for string quartet, the brooding Adagio and Fugue in C minor, alongside the youthful exuberant quartet for oboe and strings and works by Bohemian composers Anton Reicha and Franz Krommer.


Imaginary Theater

Some of the most exciting and vivid music of the Baroque was written for the opera stage. In this program, House of Time features instrumental gems by Handel and Rameau in new arrangements (including the rarely heard Zaïs) by Gonzalo X. Ruiz. The daring, impressionistic overture depicts the creation of the world, progressing from chaos to order – while the dances that follow present the kaleidoscopic world of 18th-century ballet through the lens of Rameau's colorful wit.

 

AUDIO & VIDEO

 

 

 

PRESS

“Musically suave... volatile and beguiling.”
~ San Francisco Classical Voice

See the complete review by Steven Winn


BIOGRAPHY

House of Time is New York City's period instrument chamber ensemble. Known for their “fluency and command,” (San Francisco Classical Voice) House of Time is dedicated to both well-loved and lesser-known repertoire of the 17th through 21st centuries played on period instruments. Members and guests include Juilliard and Curtis faculty and alumni of The Juilliard School, as well as prize-winners of major international competitions. Using the instruments and techniques of the past to express the vivid passions in the music, House of Time shares the expressive vitality of baroque chamber music with audiences nationwide. Critics have declared oboist, Gonzalo X. Ruiz, “one of only a handful of truly superb baroque oboists in the world” (Alte Musik Aktuell); Tatiana Daubek, is known for her "sleekly elegant playing" (Gazettes Long Beach); and Avi Stein, one of NYC’s finest, is described by the New York Times as “a brilliant organ soloist."

Currently in their 7th season, House of Time is ensemble in residence at St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They have been presented by the Berkeley Early Music Festival, Czech Center New York, Early Music Festival: NYC, Music Before 1800, Michigan State University, San Diego and San Francisco Early Music Societies, The University Club in NYC, and the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments.


CONTACT

For booking inquiries, please contact Rachel Givner, Director of Administrative Services, rgivner@gemsny.org, (212) 866–0468

 

 

GEMS Live! is a unique not-for-profit booking agency representing a roster of New York's world-class early music ensembles: The Bishop's Band, East of the River, House of Time, Parthenia, and Pomerium.