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Church of St. John the Divine
May 27, 2012
About a year after their debut performance in Victoria last year (reviewed by James Young here) tonight's performance by the Victoria Baroque Players was my first exposure to this remarkably talented ensemble which, while centred in Victoria, draws some of its members from farther afield (Ladysmith, Vancouver) and the soprano soloist, Nancy Washeim, from Sooke. And what a delight they were! Clearly their reputation had preceeded them as St. John the Divine is a fairly large Church, and it was packed, hard pews notwithstanding, long before the opening bars of the first piece, in this, the last concert of their opening season. J. S. Bach is, of course, known for his prodigous output of sacred music, two thirds of which was produced for the Lutheran church, but the repertoire in this programme focussed on his less usual secular works reflecting the powerful influence Italian composers (particularly Vivaldi) were starting to have on the devoutly German taste of Bach and his 18th century masters and contemporaries.
The Violin concerto in A minor got off to a crisp start, Christi Meyers' singing tone flying in long, beautifully articulated phrases, not too fast for clarity and with a very assured, light touch. The Andante began in sonorous mood, introducing a new, rich and emotionally laden tone from Meyers, both tender and lyrical, echoes distributed through the ensemble in small, measured fragments. Almost every phrase familiar from other works, yet fresh as if new born in the moment. The Allegro Assai marked a delightfully light-hearted leap into a sparklingly fast, yet not breathless mood. At this point I found the harpsichord a shade on the quiet side, yet very satisfyingly supported by the warmth of the cello. A cloud of fireflies dancing over creation - sheer, understated pleasure.
Christopher Bagan's chance to demonstrate how effectively his instrument could hold its own in the somewhat daunting accoustic space of St. John the Divine arrived in the Italian Concerto for solo harpsichord in F. major. With both hands flying between upper and lower keyboards, his opening Allegro interwove intricate patterns of timbre, imitating the sound of two choirs. While not the big German sound of the kind of harpsichord Bach would have been most familiar with, the range from fruity lows to sweet highs was a far cry from the tinkly sounds one often hears in small chamber groups ..... this after all was a beautiful concert instrument on loan from EMSI! Will he, in the Andante, be able to express the yearning, wistful melancholy that can be wrested from more sonorous instruments, I wondered? Yes, in the way a reserved man can convey even profounder emotion if you really pay attention ... the closing notes were utterly seductive. The constant crossing of registers in the final presto created a mesmerising flow of patterned sound in a kaleidoscopic display, silencing all questions.
The Cantata, "Non sa che sia dolore", concluded the first half. The Players opened with the gentle tones of the wooden flute, playfully soaring over a forest of sound from robust violin and warmly confident cello and bassoon, backed by a quiet stream of chords from the harpsichord, when, as in an epiphany, in which every thing changes and takes on new meaning, Nancy Washeim made her stunning entry. Like the sun coming out over the teeming forest, her voice effortlessy lit up and danced over the instruments. Powerfully assertive in the recitatives, pure Italian fireworks in the arias, she still conveyed as much amusement as grand passion, even in extended vocal games with Soile Stratkauskas' flute. A tour de force that makes the distinction between sacred and profane irrelevant.
I could happily have left at this point, quite satisfied. The second half opened with a brief yet charming confezione in the form of the Trio Sonata in G major. Broadly sweeping fugal passages led by flute, followed by violin and then cello were happily balanced with the harpsichord, maintaining an equal voice from behind them. The Vivace movement, very short and lively was followed by an Adagio of moving spiritual dignity, all topped off with a sonic flourish in the Presto.
The main substance of the second half was served in the form of the Triple concerto, featuring the harpsichord, flute and violin, joined now by the rest of the players. The harpsichord shone in its solo passages, the flute and violin creating a captivating play over the energetically robust layer formed by the other instruments, their flourishes tossed to and fro like bunting at a fair. A plucked section lightened the atmosphere and texture, allowing the harpsichord to come forward. The adagio movement called for (ma non tanto, e dolce) and delivered passages of great sweetness with a perfect balance between the trio: the plucking of strings echoing in the upper register of the harpsichord, the flute whispering sweet nothings, climaxing in an ending of superlative delicacy. The ensemble rejoined the trio for the final Alla breve in a determined forward movement toward the conclusion, the harpsichord exquisitely resolving all the patterns and themes, containing everything in the timeless flow of its own rich fullness - the shy man wins the prize after all!
On the way out I heard a woman remark to her companion "I really needed that" which caught exactly the sense of quiet satisfaction achieved by this beautifully executed programme, while someone else commented on the great future ahead of the very young harpsichordist, Christopher Bagan. Images linger still...the tiny red rosebud in violinist Paul Luchkow's lapel, and the conviction that Nancy Washeim, though I know she wore black like everyone else, was clothed in shining white.
To keep abreast of their performance schedule, or learn more about the performers, check out their web site at victoria-baroque.com/concert-diary/.
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