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Alix Goolden Performance Hall
October 17, 2009
The Early Music Society of the Islands managed once again to prove that they deserve the large audiences they pull in. They did this by inviting Galileo's Daughters from New York to show off their unorthodox fusion of ancient science and music. Stellar production, musicianship, and ambiance combined to make this difficult concept work.
Soprano Sarah Pillow and Viola de Gamba player Mary Anne Ballard are the core members of Galileo's Daughters. Pillow's unique background in jazz, baroque, classical and rock hinted that she was used to doing things differently, and she was about to prove it. Ballard is versed in a more baroque style, which is probably to be expected from a Gambist. The two were practically upstaged by their guests, however. Dava Sobel is a well-known author and former science reporter for the New York Times, and Ronn McFarlane is one of the world's most celebrated lute players. The entire ensemble is based in New York City.
Many of Galileo's contemporaries would have considered music and science inseparable. His time was also one when both realms were involved in revolutions against conventions dating back to Greek thinking. Beating the large crowd and letting me wrap my head around the concert's concept, listening in on the pre-concert talk was of immense value. The articulate and accessible lecture distilled the spirit of 16th and 17th century Northern Italy in a way that gave me a reasonable perspective on the thoughts that were going to be explored.
This concert brought to life scientific ventures such as Galileo's championing of Copernicanism, musical experiments such as opera, and combined efforts like the mathematical studies of harmony. Sobel read descriptions and quotes that present a window into these ideas, and then the musicians would complement this text with melodies written in Galileo's time. The concert was divided into seven elaborately titled chapters.
Sobel's speaking was clear and enthusiastic. She certainly spoke with authority, since she is the author of the book, Galileo's Daughter, after which the group is named. Her portions of the concert were more poetic that scientific, and intimately tracked the feelings the great men and women of the day felt about what was going on around them. Even though the spectacle was highly cerebral, one didn't have to have know much about early baroque to enjoy it. The poetic rhetoric and stylistic musicianship meshed together to create a very cohesive ambiance.
Lutenist Ronn McFarlane's playing was easily a highlight of the evening. He's been credited with having brought new life to lute in the musical mainstream, which must have been an uphill climb. Tasteful, nuanced and virtuosic, his playing was never boring. He was flexible enough so that the entire performance felt organic, and his musical sensibilities were refined enough to perfectly capture the mystical, divinely inspired context. He served as the pillar of the ensemble, and stole the show whenever he was given the chance.
Ballard's playing of the Viola de Gamba was certainly era-appropriate, but not the most remarkable part of the concert. Because of her less flamboyant part in these pieces, she was the only one whose name I couldn't immediately remember. I really did enjoy her playing, though. The Gamba's dark, rich sound fleshed out the airy mood and gave it weight.
Keeping in mind her weird musical background, I get the impression that it was Soprano Sarah Pillow who brought the concept of this concert together. Her eclectic body of work and lack of baroque expertise might unfortunately also explain why her performance was a tad awkward at times. On the whole her singing was excellent, especially for Monteverdi's Lamento d'Arianna, the tormented musical centrepiece. There were problems with intonation, however, and her voice faltered in crucial, exposed moments. These minor irritations were probably the only bone I'd have to pick with the show.
What really impressed me was the atmosphere and theme. Behind the group, a multimedia presentation constantly displayed scenes of earth and space. Hearing Galileo marvel in the infinite curiosity of stars and planets made this presentation seem much more surreal. The music and slides were often coordinated, such as in the last chapter - the Setting of the Sun - when they ran...a setting sun. The program was very consistent and carefully chosen, although I thought using a piece by Henry Purcell to finish the concert was jarring. After having heard so much Italian, hearing Pillow break into English seemed out of place.
The audience jumped to their feet in applause, and comments afterwards were extremely positive. I heard lots of people make the simplistic remark that this was just a really high quality show. I have to agree. The entire production seemed so well assembled and thought out. Afterwards everyone was invited to peer through a basic telescope, to see Jupiter as Galileo would have. It was a perfect way to celebrate 2009, the International Year of Astronomy.
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