Ode to Thunder

In 1755, an unprecedented earthquake blitzed Portugal leaving destruction in its wake. In far-away Hamburg, Georg Philipp Telemann, inspired by tales of the storm, set the story to music in his Donnerode (Ode to thunder), giving his audiences a vivid depiction of this catastrophe which was seen at the time as the manifestation of the immense force of the Creator. The Bande Montreal Baroque, directed by Matthias Maute, festival presents a reflection of our powerlessness when faced with the elements.