Charles II: Phoenix of Restoration London

The restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660 helped London emerge from civil war and Puritanism. While battered by plague and political and religious unrest, Restoration London burst with creative energy. The Whitehall Court, a vibrant cultural center, offered non-stop intrigue and public entertainment as Court antagonists spewed forth in clubs, coffee houses, and newspapers-much to the Court's chagrin. This artistic and lusty exuberance was matched by dramatic scientific and architectural… Show more advances. In rebuilding London after the Great Fire of 1666, period luminaries fostered a more rational and spacious city that gave rise to the first politcal parties, a relatively free press, public arts patronage, an explosion of scientific knowledge, and other hallmarks of modernity that have shaped the Moderm world.

Power, Pomp and Pleasure in the Restoration Court. Robert Bucholz (Loyola University Chicago)

Performance: Music of Henry Purcell Gilbert Martinez (Artistic Director, MusicSources) on the harpsichord, with Rita Lilly (soprano) and Joshua Lee (viola da gamba)

Introduced by Clifford (Kip) Cranna (SF Opera)

Show less