Apollo’s Cabinet: Elements

Apollo’s Cabinet: ‘Elements’

Baroque music by Handel, Locatelli, Telemann, Purcell, Bach and a new commission ‘Elements’ by Orlando Gough, all performed on period instruments.

Elements explores the splendour and ferocity of the four elements when driven to their extremes by mankind. Each element is represented in an evocative suite, using two main works – Rebel’s “Les Elemens” and Destouches/Delalandes “Les Elements” as the pillars of each suite, interspersed with other composers’ ideas on how to depict the elements musically and tied together through poetry. These suites capture the beauty of the planet we live on, but also how climate change affects and endangers it and pushes it to its limits. They have commissioned British composer Orlando Gough to write five new compositions – one for each of the four elements plus a final piece on the effects the fifth element- humanity – has on our planet. The programme will be premiered in London in Autumn 2025 and subsequently performed in the UK and France. 

CHAOS
Music by Jean-Fery Rebel
EARTH
Music by Jean-Fery Rebel, Andre Cardinal Destouches, Michel Richard Delalande, Antonio Vivaldi, Orlando Gough (*1953)

FIRE
Music by Etienne le Moine, Jean- Philippe Rameau, Charles Dieupart, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Pietro Locatelli, Jean-Fery Rebel, Andre Cardinal Destouches, Michel Richard Delalande, Orlando Gough (*1953)

WATER
Music by Jean-Fery Rebel, Andre Cardinal Destouches, Michel Richard Delalande, Georg Philipp Telemann, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Marin Marais, Jean Baptiste Lully , Orlando Gough (*1953)

AIR
Music by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Jean-Fery Rebel, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Orlando Gough (*1953)

THE FIFTH ELEMENT
Music by Orlando Gough (1953)

Apollo’s Cabinet is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic and innovative early music ensembles in the UK today. Known for their imaginative and theatrical approach to early music and for their exceptional artistry and distinctive interpretations, the ensemble has earned an impressive array of international awards and accolades. With a rapidly growing reputation, they are regularly invited to perform at some of the most prestigious festivals across the UK and Europe, captivating audiences with their bold, imaginative performances. They are winners of the Royal Overseas League Mixed Ensemble prize, Utrecht Oude Muziek Competition and the Göttingen International Händel Competition.