Barefoot Chamber Concerts, dedicated to presenting great chamber music in an informal setting, is expanding to the North Bay, with a sample offering of two spring concerts in the lovely wooden acoustic of the Petaluma Woman's Club.

 

The series ("an enterprise noted for both its quality and informality" - San Francisco Classical Voice) has been presenting excellent music in the right acoustic and without the formality of most classical music events for the past five years in Berkeley and El Cerrito. The concerts start early (6:30 in Petaluma) and last no more than 75 minutes. Kids are very welcome if quiet, and admission is little more than a movie ticket ($10-$15, under 18 free). Refreshments (wine, bread, juice, olives) are available before, during, and after the concert. There will be ample time to move on to other evening entertainments.

 

Barefoot is very pleased to present Agave Baroque (Aaron Westman, violin; Heather Vorwerck, viola da gamba; Kevin Cooper, guitar and theorbo; and Henry Lebedinsky, harpsichord) performing their fabulous program of music from the circle of the Holy Roman Emperors "Friends of Ferdinand", music of Schmelzer, Bertali and more.

 

In addition to being virtuoso violinists and composers, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer and Antonio Bertali maintained close social, musical, and political ties with their employers Holy Roman Emperors Ferdinand III and Leopold I. This program centers around music from the great collection Prothimia Suavissima, which includes works by both composers, including Bertali's great Ciacona, Schmelzer's legendary "Lamento sopre la morte Ferdinand III" as well as other works including pieces by Froberger and the Emperor Leopold himself.

 

The program will be approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.

 

For more details, and to order tickets online, visit www.barefootchamberconcerts.com