Once Upon a Time

Wonder and Fantasy in the Theatre of Music

Between theatrical artifice and boundless imagination, the Baroque created a universe in which music became the language of the improbable. Battles, tempests, talking animals, and chivalric heroes came to life through sound, inviting listeners to take part in a game of illusion and wonder through the theatrical element that permeated the music of the era—even music that was strictly instrumental. This program transports us to that stage, where affects and images are transformed into sonic narratives, revealing the ingenuity with which Baroque composers nourished the imagination.

The Baroque’s narrative spirit was fueled by wonder, by the desire to transform reality through artifice, and by the exploration, through sound, of the limits of what might be possible. Once Upon a Time invites us to experience music as a story, as a mirror of the human imagination that transcends eras and styles, revealing a sensibility united by dreams, humor, passion, and mystery.

Photography: Andres Galeano