Tesserae

Tessarae specializes in music of the 17th century. Formed in 2010, it combines instruments from various Renaissance consort families, and explores some of the most beautiful repertoire of the time, from the intimate chamber music of the early 17th century to the splendor of large-scale Venetian poly-choral music. In a free concert presented by Fullerton Friends of Music, fourteen instrumentalists and singers will perform music by J.S. Bach and his northern German forerunners. The centerpiece of the program is Bach’s moving Actus Tragidus, an early work that represents a link between Bach and the earlier masters Buxtehude and Johann Christoph Bach, Johann Sebastian’s first cousin once removed. The latter master is represented by the monumental wedding dialog Meine Freundin, du bist schön, featuring a highly virtuosic violin chaconne. The entire program is capped by Bach’s beloved Brandenburg Concerto No. 6.