The programme “Italian Baroque – Appreciation Talk with Live Choral Music” presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, originally scheduled for December 2020, has been rescheduled to 7.30pm from April 14 to 28 at the Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Space Museum. Patrons with original intact ticket(s) (with stubs) may attend the lecture(s) on the same topic(s) in April.
 
     Patrons who cannot attend the rescheduled lecture(s) should take their original intact ticket(s) with stubs to the URBTIX Box Office of Hong Kong Cultural Centre for ticket refunds no later than April 28 (Wednesday). Late applications will not be accepted. For details, please visit ticket.urbtix.hk/internet/en_US/newsDetail/173276.
 
     Tickets for each of the rescheduled talks priced at $60 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk).
 
     The talks will be hosted by Calvin Lai, while the live music demonstration will be performed by SingFest Choral Academy featuring Dominic Lam as chorus master. Lai, a broadcaster of RTHK Radio 4, tutor, speaker, and writer, has gained a wealth of experience in presenting classical music and educational programmes to a wide audience. He also honed his skills and served as a technical score advisor for filming classical music performances. Lai is a co-author of a collection of articles about classical music and related stories published in 2007.
 
     The series consists of three talks (conducted in Cantonese). Lai will guide the audience through three topics of vocal music in the Italian Baroque era, from its origin, development and propagation. Details of the lectures are as follows:
 
April 14 (Wednesday)
Topic: Where it All Started
To trace the origin of Baroque music, the focus is on two epoch-making composers: Claudio Monteverdi, who put new energy into opera as a genre, and Giovanni Gabrieli, who excelled in the use of space and contrast.
 
April 21 (Wednesday)
Topic: Among Italian City-States
To introduce remarkable composers from various Italian city-states in history, and the characteristics of their works, with a special focus on Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, composer of Stabat Mater. He was a genius of great talent and influence, who unfortunately died at a young age.
 
April 28 (Wednesday)
Topic: Reaching High and Far
To focus on the propagation and changes of the Italian style in Europe at an earlier time, and how it transformed into the Baroque style.
 
     For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_1046.html.