Just imagine the impression the music of the Baroque had on its first listeners.

Its lavish decoration, heady emotional expression and virtuosic displays made its leading exponents into revered figures.

Who better to bring that impact to life than the early music legend Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hespèrion XXI?

Celebrated for projects mingling scholarship and entertainment, technical excellence and appealing theatricality, the ensemble turns tonight to the revolutionary innovations in music at the courts of Europe between the late 16th and 17th centuries.

Ranging from London to Venice and Naples, they evoke the pioneering sound-worlds of composers including Ruffo, Hume, Frescobaldi, Kapsberger, Cavalieri, Falconieri and more.

Ruffo: La gamba; La disperata; La piva from Capricci in musica a tre voci
Cavalieri: Sinfonia from Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo; Ballo del Granduca from La Pellegrina
Hume: The Lady Sussex delight; The Spirit of Gambo (The Lord Dewys favoret); The Earle of Pembrookes Galiard
Anonymous: Variations on a ground (ca.1610)
Scheidt: Galliard Battaglia (Battle Suite)
Frescobaldi: Canzon terza, à due canti, F.8.14c
Falconiero: Ciaccona from Canzone, Bk.1
Zéspedes: Guaracha (Ay que me abraso)
Kapsberger: Variations sur la Folia
Anonymous: Diferencias sobre la Folía
Falconiero: Passacalle from Canzone, Bk.1
Marini: Passacaglia, Op.22 No.25
Merula: Ciaccona, Op.12 No.20