Circa 1829

Set at the turning point between Classical balance and Romantic freedom, Circa 1829 invites listeners into the intimate world of the early nineteenth-century salon. Here, composers like Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Hummel, and Donizetti shaped music that feels polished yet deeply personal—elegant structures giving way to sudden bursts of emotion, like waves carving new forms into ancient stone. Much like the flowing lines of Cathedral Rock, these songs, sonatas, and nocturnes show how time and pressure can hone the familiar into something strikingly alive. This program traces how each piece, with its lyricism and quiet drama, transforms the private world of the salon into a place where the past resonates in every intimate phrase.

Donizetti’s Il Genio offers a lively glimpse of the young composer’s early gift for melody and charm. Written for salon audiences, this short piece distills the spirit of bel canto opera into a bright instrumental miniature. Quick…