Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment: Matthew Locke’s The Tempest, San Wanamaker Theatre

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse hosts this Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment Concert: Baroque music from Locke hitherto unfairly neglected.

There is no better setting for Jacobean music than the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse , a painstaking reconstruction of the indoor theatres of the period. Matthew Locke ’s incidental music for Shakespeare’s The Tempest is the centrepiece of this concert, which also includes masque dances and character pieces for violin band.

The Baroque composer was highly regarded on the London theatre scene, writing music for theatre and opera alike, but also earned himself the royal seal of approval: he held four prestigious titles, which required him to serve King Charles II as composer and organist. Arguably the most successful English composer before Henry Purcell, little of Locke’s music for the stage survives today. This is a rare opportunity to hear the very pieces which were crucial in establishing the glowing reputation of this important historical figure. 

Locke’s dances are elegant in their simplicity, with streamlined and graceful melodic lines decorated with tasteful ornamentations. His sunny harmonic progressions means that one cannot help but be charmed by his compositions; however, Locke is not averse to taking the music in unexpected directions, or bursting into dazzling passagework.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment are the ideal ensemble to bring Locke’s music to life. Performing on period instruments, they will transport you back to the 17th century. Approaching every concert with energy and musical curiosity, the OAE are one of the most exciting ensembles playing today. Don’t miss the chance to see them in this unfairly neglected repertoire, returning Locke’s music to the setting in which it would originally have been heard.