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Alix Goolden Performance Hall
February 22, 2013
Shortly before this year's Pacific Baroque Festival began, the news came that yet another baroque festival (this time one in New Brunswick) has bit the dust. In these uncertain times, only a few remain and we are lucky that one is Victoria. The theme of this year's Festival is "The Music of Henry Purcell's London".
I arrived shortly before the scheduled 8 p.m. kickoff, and took a seat with a couple of friends who had seen the previous night's performance. The initial word on the street was not auspicious: the Thursday night programme had underwhelmed and one piece had involved a fair dinkum train wreck, with the musicians having to pick themselves up and start again. It was with a little apprehension, therefore, that I awaited the first notes of Purcell's "Welcome to all the pleasures", Ode for St. Cecilia's Day.
From 1683 until 1703, the Gentleman Lovers of Musick and the Professors and Masters of the art of music commissioned and performed an ode to celebrate St. Cecilia's Day (November 22nd). They did so, Peter Motteux wrote, "not through a principle of Superstition, but to propagate the advancement of that divine Science. A splendid entertainment is provided, and before it is always a performance of Music by the best voices and hands in Town". Purcell composed the ode for the celebrations in 1683 and it was this we heard this evening. (Purcell also composed an ode for the same occasion in 1692.)
I needn't have worried. Whatever had transpired on Thursday, Welcome to all the pleasures was given a pleasing performance. The VCM Young Professionals all performed very nicely. If I were to single out one for particular praise, he would be countertenor Mark Donnelly, for his performance of "Here the deities approve". Also noteworthy was Isaiah Bell's rendition of "Beauty, thou scene of love". (I recently had a beer with Daniel Taylor, the great Canadian countertenor, who is now teaching Bell. Dan was full of praise for the young man.) Occasionally, in the choruses, one could hear Nancy Argenta's soprano voice soaring about all, but one can scarcely complain about that.
The orchestra also turned in a good performance. The strings were divided 3-3-1-2. Or, more precisely, the strings were arrayed 3-3-1-1-1: rather than two cellos, a cello and a viol played the bass line. (I thought that this was a nice HIP touch. At the time, an orchestra would have been composed of those instruments that were available.) The one viola was rather overwhelmed. The continuo section was filled out by organ (harpsichord in the instrumental pieces) and theorbo. All evening, I had trouble hearing the theorbo over the other continuo instruments.
Next up was the suite of incidental music that Matthew Locke composed for a revival of Shakespeare's Tempest performed in 1667. I always expect more from this music. For some reason, no matter how often I hear it, I expect something along the lines of Vivaldi's Tempesta di mare. In fact, it is rather tame music. It was, however, given a nice clean performance by the Pacific Baroque Orchestra.
Purcell's incidental music to Abdelazer (or, The Moor's Revenge) (1685) was much more engaging. The opening Overture was reminiscent of French overture, before breaking into a deftly handled imitative section. The Rondeau was nicely robust while each of the succeeding aries was a little gem (though I wondered a little about the use of the harpsichord's buff stop; the choice to employ it was not, I think, particularly HIP). The remaining movements (Minuett, Aire, Jigg, Hornpipe and Air) were like treats from a chocolate box.
The concert concluded with a performance of "Sound the trumpet, beat the drum", a welcome ode composed for James II in 1687. Like the previous ode, this was full of lovely movements. Particularly noteworthy was the beguiling duet between alto Kiiri Michelsen (a singer I have had occasion to praise for a previous performance and Donnelly. I was also very impressed by bass Nathan McDonald. I have heard him sing bit parts in Bach cantatas performed by the Victoria Baroque Players. Here, however, in the aria "What greater bliss" he was given something he could sink his teeth into, and he took full advantage. The Chaconne - I do like a nice chaconne - was given a nicely energetic performance.
At the end of the evening, one could only be pleased that the Pacific Baroque Festival continues to flourish. It has evolved in recent years. It is less a showcase for international artists, and more of a showcase for local musicians. When, however, the local musicians are of the calibre of the VCM Young Professionals, the music is still of a very high quality.
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