Event

Gilbert Martinez plays Rameau

Barefoot Chamber Concerts (an enterprise noted for both its quality and informality San Francisco Classical Voice) presents really good music in the right acoustic and without the formality of most classical music events.

This year we are delighted to be able to present harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez, who will play an entire concert of music by Jean-Phillipe Rameau. We heard this program 2 years ago, and have been working hard on presenting it ever since.

Rameau represents the best and maybe most prolific of the late, decadent French musicians: he held the title Compositeur du Cabinet du Roi", and beside his fabulous harpsichord music, he wrote many operas, ballets, chamber music, cantatas, and sacred music. Although he was often controversial (mostly because of his poor social skills) during his lifetime, he was highly regarded by most of his peers; his unusually rich harmonic language changed French music forever, and surely his operas are the gold standard of French baroque opera. His zest for drama is reflected in the harpsichord music, which is conspicuously daring and colorful.

A favorite of Bay Area audiences, Gilbert Martinez, harpsichord, is the Artistic Director of MusicSources, Center for Historically Informed Performance in Berkeley. In five years as director, he has expanded MusicSources' concerts into an international series featuring scholars, performers and students from around the world. He studied harpsichord with Laurette Goldberg at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and subsequently went abroad to Italy to study briefly with Alan Curtis.

Mr. Martinez is also an acclaimed conductor with a particular interest in baroque operas, ballets, masques, and renaissance fêtes. As a harpsichordist, he has given concerts all over the US and Canada
Currently he resides part time in Copenhagen, Denmark as well as San Francisco, California.