The Class of '85

In this episode of Talking Bach, Artistic Director Madeleine Easton is joined by soprano Susannah Lawergren and principal flautist Mikaela Oberg to discuss the “Class of ’85.” The odds are slim that three musicians of global significance could be born in the same year, but in 1685, that’s exactly what happened. Domenico Scarlatti, Georg Frideric Handel, and Johann Sebastian Bach—known as the Class of ’85—have had an overwhelming and enduring influence on music.

This program features Handel’s rich Concerto Grosso in B-flat major, Op. 6 No. 7; Domenico Scarlatti’s Salve Regina, performed by mezzo-soprano Hannah Fraser; and J.S. Bach’s magnificent secular cantata Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209, featuring soprano Susannah Lawergren. Together, these works celebrate the supreme craftsmanship, versatility, and imagination of these three titans of Western classical music.