Peter Roennfeldt and Friends – Next Concert

Bach and Handel – Psalms and Sonatas

The next ‘Peter Roennfeldt and Friends’ concert takes place on Sunday 12 October 2025 at 4pm, at Nazareth Lutheran Church, 12 Hawthorne Street Woolloongabba. The program titled ‘Bach and Handel – Psalms and Sonatas’ juxtaposes each of these composer’s vocal and instrumental works.

Vocal works

The texts of the Psalms have inspired countless musical settings. The Cantata 150 by JS Bach and the Chandos Anthem ‘As pants the hart for cooling streams’ by GF Handel are among the finest. Interestingly, each work comes from their composers’ early careers. Bach was a 20-something church musician in provincial Germany when he wrote what is thought to be his first cantata. Similarly, Handel was a newcomer to England when he was engaged by the Duke of Chandos to compose a series of anthems.

Both works are full of deep emotion, rich harmonies, uplifting climaxes and innovative vocal-instrumental textures. In addition to these multi-sectional pieces, this program features two arias from Bach’s Cantata 159. One of these is the incomparable ‘Es ist vollbracht’ setting for bass voice, strings and oboe solo.

Instrumental works

Bach and Handel were both gifted keyboard musicians. They both produced many works featuring the harpsichord in both solo and ensemble roles. The trio sonata is the baroque era’s most favoured chamber music combination. But quite often Bach assigns one of the treble lines to the harpsichord, as in his extrovert Violin Sonata in G major. Somewhat unusually, it also includes a central movement for solo harpsichord. In contrast, the Handel trio sonata on this program is an excellent example of the customary combination of two violins and continuo.

An expert vocal quintet, a string ensemble of different sizes, and various keyboard instruments have always featured in our programs. We are delighted to be now adding some baroque wind instruments. This concert features recorder, oboe and bassoon in various combinations with the other performers.

More information

Click here for full details of the program and venue information. Bookings are now open through 4MBS Ticketing.

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‘A Program of Firsts’

Peter Roennfeldt and Friends presents a special recital of chamber music featuring the historic Streicher piano. This fine instrument, built in 1843 in Vienna, is ideal for music of this period. Its tonal warmth and clarity provides a rare opportunity to hear the works of early 19th century composers in a new light.

This program of ‘firsts’ comprises works by like-minded composers – Mendelssohn, Schumann and Gade. They became friends and colleagues in Leipzig, Germany, during the late 1830s and early 1840s. While they shared a similar musical outlook, each has their own ‘voice’.

Both Felix Mendelssohn and Neils Gade made their chamber music debut with a piano trio, but for different ensemble combinations. Mendelssohn was just 11 years of age when in 1820 he produced his Trio in C minor for piano, violin and viola. Gade was in his early ’20s and on the verge of a major career break when, in 1839, he composed his single movement Trio in B flat major for piano, violin and cello.

Both these musicians were friends and colleagues of Robert Schumann when they were based in Leipzig, in the early 1840s. Schumann was already a well-established composer when, in 1842, he produced his his renowned Piano Quintet in E flat Opus 44. But this work set a new precedent in partnering a full string quartet with piano. Many composers then followed this example.

A quartet of well-known string players – violinists Margaret Connolly and Wayne Brennan, violist Nicholas Tomkin and cellist Daniel Curro – joins pianist Peter Roennfeldt for this special performance. It takes place at the Ian Hanger Recital Hall of Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, 140 Grey Street South Bank, on Saturday 16 August 2025 at 6pm. The program lasts approximately 70 minutes, with no interval.

Bookings are through QTIX on (07) 136 246 or online at qtix.com.au

For further information, send an email by clicking here, or write to info@peterroennfeldt.com

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