Baroque Music from Europe to Georgia
Lecturer: Thea Mukeria (Musician, Music Journalist, Curator of the Tbilisi Museums Union Zakaria Paliashvili Memorial House-Museum)
Description: The revival of Baroque music began after World War II. During the restoration of museums that had been burned and destroyed during the war, numerous compositions written 300 years ago were discovered. These included unknown works by famous composers as well as valuable music by many unknown composers. Despite many challenges, authentic Baroque music performance gradually gained recognition through newly discovered resources and research, and its popularity continues to grow worldwide. In Georgia, the practice of authentic Baroque performance began only in 2012, when the Tbilisi State Chamber Orchestra – “Georgian Sinfonietta” – acquired Baroque instruments, becoming the first and only Baroque orchestra in the Caucasus. In 2015, the orchestra founded the “Tbilisi Baroque Festival,” which is now celebrating its 10th anniversary season. The musicians faced many obstacles on this new and challenging path but achieved significant results.
The lecture will discuss the history of Baroque music performance in 20th-century Europe and how authentic performance practices were established in Georgia.