At 7.30 pm (Note Time) on December 18, 2026 in the Magdalen Hall (Parish Hall) of St. Mary Magdalen Church,
2005 Berryman, Berkeley:

Cynthia Miller Freivogel, violin and Katherine Heater, harpsichord

Angel or Devil? The Supernatural Violin

Music by (at least) Biber, Bach, Locatelli, and of course, Tartini

How often do we hear that the violin sounds like the voice of an angel or that a musician must be touched by the divine to create such beautiful music? The devil or evil spirits seem equally influential for violinists of fantastic ability. From the instrument’s emergence in the 1500s, violins appeared in the hands of angels in Italian frescoes, while in Norway fiddles were banned from churches for their power to draw people into dance. Today, we still cherish angel ornaments with violins and tell stories of fiddlers who sold their souls. Cynthia Miller Freivogel and Katherine Heater offer a musical journey through this supernatural history, from Biber and Bach to Tartini and Paganini. Centered on Biber’s Passacaglia, a meditation on the guardian angel from the Rosary Sonatas, and Tartini’s Devil’s Trill, the program explores how deeply demonic and ethereal forces are entwined in our musical imagination.

Friday, December 18, at 7.30 pm (NOTE TIME) in the Magdalen Hall (Parish Hall) of Saint Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman, Berkeley.

Please enter the Hall from the parking lot (go down the entry ramp 50 yards East of the Church on Berryman), and then down a flight of stairs to the West of the parking area.

Admission $25 (no one turned away for lack of funds).

You can reserve a seat in advance by email at info@barefootchamberconcerts.com, and pay at the door.