The 350th birthday of one of the great baroque composers seems good reason for Pacific Baroque Festival 2018 to celebrate the music of Franc抬ois Couperin whose profound influence transformed French music towards the end of Louis XIVB次元官网网址檚 reign.

B次元官网网址淚f instrumental music can ever be political then one might see a humanistic purpose in CouperinB次元官网网址檚 attempts to reconcile in some of his compositions the hotly-contested French and Italian styles of his day, or perhaps envisage a united Europe through his collection of trio sonatas Les Nations,B次元官网网址� says Marc Destrube虂, the festivalB次元官网网址檚 artistic director. B次元官网网址淥r, his music is quite simply beautiful and touching, combining grace with grandeur, discre虂tion, beaute虂 et de虂licatesseB次元官网网址� in the context of extended sonatas and suites. His ability to evoke a mood through choice of key and adventurous harmonies made his character pieces miniature tone poems.B次元官网网址�

The Pacific Baroque Festival B次元官网网址� Le Grand Sie虁cle B次元官网网址� Music in the Glow of the Sun King B次元官网网址� runs Feb. 15 to 18 in Victoria.

It starts with B次元官网网址極rder and DisorderB次元官网网址� on Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. featuring Chantal Re虂millard and Marc Destrube虂 (baroque violin); Natalie Mackie (viola da gamba); Michael Jarvis (harpsichord) in the Alix Goolden Performance Hall.

The Perfection of Music is Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. featuring Alex Weimann (organ) and Victoria ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Choir at Christ Church Cathedral.

B次元官网网址業n the Gilded Cage is Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. featuring He虂le虁ne Brunet and Catherine Webster (sopranos); Chantal Re虂millard and Marc Destrube虂 (baroque violin); Natalie Mackie (viola da gamba); Michael Jarvis (harpsichord) in the Alix Goolden Performance Hall.

B次元官网网址楩rom Chaos to Sublime Beauty is Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. featuring He虂le虁ne Brunet and Catherine Webster (sopranos); Benjamin Butterfield (tenor); Nathan McDonald (bass) Victoria ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Choir; St Christopher Singers (Men) Pacific Baroque Festival Ensemble in the Alix Goolden Performance Hall.

The Festival concludes with its usual special Choral Evensong Service which this year features music composed for the female voice by Fran莽ois Couperin as well as an earlier court composer, Henri Du Mont. The service also includes a premiere performance of a B次元官网网址楴unc DimittisB次元官网网址� by Jean-Joseph Mouret, transcribed for the Festival from the original score. Completing the music will be Marc-Antoine CharpentierB次元官网网址檚 beautifully crafted sacred work, his B次元官网网址楽tabat materB次元官网网址�.Choral Evensong B次元官网网址楾he Beauty of GeniusB次元官网网址� is Sunday, Feb. 18 at 4:30 p.m. featuring St. Christopher Singers and Pacific Baroque Festival Ensemble at Christ Church Cathedral.

Tickets for festival shows range from $20 to $30 and are available online at , by phone at 250-386-5311 or in person at the Victoria Conservatory of Music (900 Johnson St.), Christ Church Cathedral Office (930 Burdett Ave.), IvyB次元官网网址檚 Book Shop (2188 Oak Bay Ave.), Long & McQuade (756 Hillside Ave), MunroB次元官网网址檚 Books (1108 Government St) and TannerB次元官网网址檚 Books (2436 Beacon Ave.)