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University Centre Auditorium
March 18, 2007
For the second year in a row I found myself at the Farquhar Auditorium on a Sunday in March reviewing the fourth concert in the Victoria Symphony Orchestra's Classics Series. Last year I remarked on the profound impact of the early music movement on mainstream music making. This year, if anything the impact was even more apparent, largely because the Orchestra was under the direction of one of the world's leading period performance specialists: Jeanne Lamon, music director of the renowned Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
The early musicification (if I may use the word) of symphony orchestras is not a new phenomenon. As long ago as the 1980s, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra kitted out its members with baroque bows when they tackled eighteenth century repertoire. It has just taken a little longer for the good news to reach sleepy Victoria. On this occasion, not all of the string players were sporting baroque bows, but many of them were.
The afternoon's programme began with a Sonata a 8 by Francesco Cavalli. Today best known as a composer of operas, Cavalli also composed for the Basilica of San Marco in Venice. For some reason, this church has a long and distinguished tradition of antiphonal music. It used to be thought that this is because two choirs sang from the dual organ lofts, but more recent musicology has questioned this hypothesis. Apparently, musicians performed at seven different locations in San Marco.
For this performance, Lamon had one antiphonal group consisting of three trumpets and bassoon. The other was composed of three French horns and a continuo group composed of cello, double bass and harpsichord, Originally, the brass instruments would probably have been sackbuts (the ancestor of the modern trombone). I doubt that there would have been a harpsichord. Still, the instrumentation of this sort of repertoire is seldom very carefully or rigidly specified.
Cavalli's sonata was an excellent way to begin the concert since it gave the brass players (who would be needed in the Handel piece to come) another chance to strut their stuff. They certainly rose to the occasion. Guided by Lamon, they turned in a stately, unhurried performance. To my taste, this music sounds a little too polite on modern instruments, but there was no question about the quality of playing.
Next up was Telemann's Darmstadt Ouverture (TWV 55: G4). Correcting such a distinguished musician as Lamon does not really befit me, but I cannot forebear to offer a few criticisms of her comments prior to the performance of this piece. She noted that the names of the movements in this piece (and in the Handel) are in French and she attributed this to the fact that educated Germans in the eighteenth century spoke French. In fact, the movement names are in French for a more specific reason: the Ouverture Suite, which became so popular in Germany, originated with Jean-Baptise Lully. Telemann and Handel were consciously imitating a French form. When they wrote other forms (such as concerti) they gave their movements Italian names. Also, Lamon translated "Gasconnade" as "The warriors." In fact, it means boastfulness or bravado - traits associated with the natives of Gascony. Finally, I do not think that at this late date it is necessary to offer a defence of Telemann as a composer. He is now comfortably ensconced in the canon.
While I find it easy to take issue with Lamon's spoken comments, it is hard to take issue with the performance of the piece itself. The orchestra took big strides towards the articulate, clear sound that period instrument ensembles take as their ideal. The oboes, which Lamon seated at the heart of the orchestra reflecting their crucial role in the suite, turned in a strong performance.
The second half of the concert began with Vivaldi's Concerto in D Major for Two Violins and Cello, No. 11 from L'estro Armonico. Here Lamon revealed that she is as much a violin virtuoso as she a distinguished music director. The challenging violin part was made to look easy. For an early music specialist, she used a surprising amount of vibrato in the slow movement. Marcus Kim, playing with a Tourte bow, acquitted himself well in the demanding cello part. Victoria Lindsey, who took the second violin part, also had a good outing (using a baroque bow).
Perhaps the most familiar work on the programme was Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, yet this was (to my mind) the highlight of the afternoon. The large (by eighteenth century standards) orchestra and powerful modern instruments imparted a martial grandeur to the piece. The only problem was that the harpsichord, played by Colin Tilney, one of the most distinguished early keyboard specialists of our time, was rather overwhelmed at times.
Listening to this performance of the third movement - La Paix (Largo alla Sciliana) - I understood something that I had never realised before. It is designed to be reminiscent of a camp ballad. Like all soldier's songs, it has an apparent insouciance yet is ineffably sad. This performance brought this out beautifully.
Last year I looked forward to hearing more baroque programming from the Victoria Symphony. I was not disappointed on this occasion. If I have one complaint it is that the concert was rather short and over by 4 p.m. I could have happily listened to another concerto or suite before wending my way home.
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