The Sebastians, New York City’s “leading young early-music ensemble” (The New York Times), open their 2019-20 season in style on Saturday, September 14, 2019, with a thematic program, “Fiddle While Rome Burns,” tracing an arc through the major stylistic developments emanating from the Italian capital during the Baroque era, via composers Giovanni Battista Fontana and Girolamo Frescobaldi, Giovanni Antonio Leoni and Arcangelo Corelli, among others. The concert casts a spotlight on the curious violoncello da spalla, a long extinct instrument that is a cross between a violin and a cello, larger than a viola and played on one’s shoulder. The Sebastians’ founding director Daniel S. Lee performs on a ‘spalla which was made by Dmitry Badiarov who, together with Sigiswald Kuijken, has spearheaded the modern revival of the instrument. The only American to own one of Badiarov’s ‘spallas, Lee will present a selection of sonatas thought to have been originally written for the instrument, alongside sonatas for violin. The ‘spalla will reappear in the Sebastians’ final two concerts of the season. “Fiddle While Rome Burns” takes place at the Greenwich Village Alchemical Studios which will offer patrons a selection of fine Italian wines.

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The Sebastians’ season continues on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, with “Bach’s Duelling Harpsichords.” The heart of the program is Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C Minor, BWV 1062, featuring the Sebastians’ Artistic Director Jeffrey Grossman going head to head with guest artist Arthur Hass.

On Wednesday, December 4, 2019, the Sebastians return to Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church and
welcome guest artists Dutch-American soprano Katharine Dain and trumpeter Steven Marquardt in “Shout for Joy,” a program featuring J.S. Bach’s cantata Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen (“Shout for Joy to God in All Lands”), alongside works by Giuseppe Sammartini and Heinrich Schütz.

The Sebastians combine “Words and Music” on Saturday, February 15, 2020, when esteemed Japanese-American poet Kimiko Hahn joins the ensemble at Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church, interspersing programmatic music from the Baroque era with her own modern writings.

On Saturday, April 18, 2020 the Sebastians get “Up Close and Personal” in the intimate space of Chelsea’s Tenri Cultural Institute. The core ensemble – violinists Daniel Lee and Nicholas DiEugenio, cellist Ezra Seltzer and harpsichordist Jeffrey Grossman – demonstrates not one but two violoncello da spallas as Lee and DiEugenio spar in a selection of Baroque duets for “cello.” Ticket holders will be offered a free glass of wine.

The Sebastians’ season finale takes place over two days – Wednesday, May 27 and Saturday, May 30, 2020 – at Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church. “Dance with Bach” marries movement with music as choreographer Christopher Caines contributes dance moves to Baroque suites by the Sebastians’ namesake – including a “cello” suite performed by Lee on violoncello da spalla – and his French contemporaries.

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For further information about the Sebastians and the ensemble’s 2019-20 season, please visit https://www.sebastians.org/nyc-series/

For all media requests, please contact Melanne Mueller, MusicCo International, +1 917 907 2785, melanne@musiccointernational.com

THE SEBASTIANS
2019-20 SEASON

Fiddle While Rome Burns
Saturday, September 14, 2019 – 7:30pm
Dario Castello (fl. 1590 – 1630) Sonata No. 1 from Sonate Concertante in Stil Moderno, Libro II (Venice, 1621)
Giovanni Battista Fontana (?1589 – ?1630) Sonata No. 5 from Sonate a 1. 2. 3. per il violino, o cornetto, fagotto,
chitarone, violoncino o simile altro istromento (Venice, 1641)
Marco Uccellini (c. 1603/10 – 80) Sonata No. 10 from Sonate over Canzoni, Op. 5 (Venice, 1649)
Guilio Caccini (1551 – 1618) arr. Peter Phillips (1560–1628) Amarilli, mia bella arranged for keyboard
Giuseppe Colombi (1635 – 1694) Partite sopra il basso di Ciaccona for violoncello da spalla
Antonio Maria Bononcini (1677 – 1726) Sonata No. 9 (c. 1693) for violoncello da spalla and continuo
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583 – 1643) Cento partite sopra passacaglia
Giovanni Antonio Leoni (1600 – 1652) Sonata No. 1 from Sonate di violino a voce sola, Libro I, Op. 3 (Rome, 1652)
Arcangelo Corelli (1653 – 1713) Sonata in C major, Op. 5, No. 3 (Rome, 1700)

Daniel Lee violin and violoncello da spalla
Charles Weaver theorbo and guitar
Jeffrey Grossman harpsichord

Studio One
Alchemical Studios
104 West 14th Street
New York, New York 10011

Bach’s Dueling Harpsichords
Saturday, November 9, 2019 – 7:30pm
Program to include:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1062 (1736)

Arthur Haas and Jeffrey Grossman harpsichord
Daniel Lee and Nicholas DiEugenio violins
Jessica Troy viola
Ezra Seltzer cello

Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church
152 West 66th Street
New York, New York 10025

Shout for Joy
Wednesday, December 4, 2019 – 7:30pm
Program to include:
Giuseppe Sammartini (1695 – 1750) Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 5, No. 6
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) Cantata BWV 51, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen
Works by Heinrich Schütz and others

Katharine Dain soprano
Steven Marquardt trumpet
Daniel Lee and Nicholas DiEugenio violins
Chiara Stauffer viola
Matt Zucker cello
Nathaniel Chase bass
Jeffrey Grossman harpsichord and organ

Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church
152 West 66th Street
New York, New York 10025

Words and Music
Saturday, February 15, 2020 – 7:30 pm
Program to be announced
Daniel Lee and Nicholas DiEugenio violins
Ezra Seltzer cello
Jeffrey Grossman harpsichord
Kimiko Hahn poet

Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church
152 West 66th Street
New York, New York 10025

Up Close and Personal
Saturday, April 18, 2020, 8:00 pm
Program to be announced
Daniel Lee and Nicholas DiEugenio violins
Ezra Seltzer cello
Jeffrey Grossman harpsichord

Tenri Cultural Institute
43A West 13th Street
New York, New York 10011

Dance with Bach
Wednesday, May 27, 2020 – 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 30, 2020 – 2:00 pm
Program to include:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) Cello Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012, for violoncello da spalla (with dancers)
English Suite No. 5 in E minor, BWV 810, for harpsichord (with dancers)
Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067, for flute, strings, and continuo (with dancers)
Works by François Couperin, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and others

David Ross flute
Caroline Giassi oboe
Daniel Lee and Nicholas DiEugenio violins and violoncello da spallas
Jessica Troy viola
Ezra Seltzer cello
Jeffrey Grossman harpsichord
Christopher Caines choreographer
Christopher Caines Dance Company

Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church
152 West 66th Street
New York, New York 10025