tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2177661488313743454.post6669085572567576228..comments2023-06-11T03:46:02.834-07:00Comments on SPCO International Chamber Orchestra Festival: Paul (minus Dee) on Thursday night's concertThe Saint Paul Chamber Orchestrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04285134144703707117noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2177661488313743454.post-85072087631665844062009-01-25T12:27:00.000-08:002009-01-25T12:27:00.000-08:00I saw both concerts Friday (cheaper than going to ...I saw both concerts Friday (cheaper than going to London!) and I echo the above comments. I also enjoyed the pre-program talks, as it gave me perspective regarding pitch, sound, instruments, and so forth. What a treat to see these people playing with such passion, especially during the last piece when the bowing among the three violinists was making my arm tired just watching them! I hope the warm welcome made up for the cold weather.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17754362705965657383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2177661488313743454.post-19496316670454448532009-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:002009-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00You are in for a real treat when you see the Orche...You are in for a real treat when you see the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on Sunday at Ted Mann. I saw the same program on Friday night at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, and I was blown away. In my years of listening to classical music, only a handful of performances have been unforgettable. Friday's OAE performance was one of them.<BR/><BR/>My first impression was the unique appearance of some of the instruments. The oboes were shaped differently than modern instruments -- rather exotic looking. The flutes were fat and made with dark wood. The landscape at the back of the stage was filled by the image of a theorbo, a large lute with a very long neck, a bundle of very long strings, and two peg boxes. My next impression was that the musicians of the OAE played magnificently.<BR/><BR/>At its best, chamber music is a performance of individual soloists playing together in perfect synchronicity as an ensemble. There is no conductor to guide them -- just the violinist concertmaster -- so staying in sync perfectly and with the correct dynamics can be challenging. The OAE played to the highest standards. <BR/><BR/>The opening piece by Telemann was pleasant and flawless. but the second piece by Vivaldi was fantastic. The toe-tapping piece features several difficult solos and several "handoffs" between the players, especially in the first and third movements. It would be easy to momentarily drift, yet the player of the OAE played to absolute perfection. The tones coaxed by violinists Rachel Podger (especially) and Margaret Faultless in the slow second movement were arresting. This is how chamber music should be played.<BR/><BR/>Anyone who saw the Friday performance witnessed chamber music played to the absolute highest standard. To be sure, the excellence I am describing was subtle. It was the execution of all the little things.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps the highlight of the show, judging by the cheering from the audience, came during the cantata performance of Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen by soprano Rachel Nicholls. Again, the ensemble was in perfect sync and played to perfection, but Nicholls was unforgettable. You could tell by the look on her face that she knew she was "on" and that the crowd was loving it as she belted out runs of short, difficult notes over her vocal range. Wow! The trumpet player and the other soloists musically dancing with Nicholls were flawless. That was memorable. <BR/><BR/>This Bach cantata struck me as the consummate example of what a piece like that should be, although I do not know enough about cantatas to say for sure.<BR/><BR/>When Nicholls came back for her second cantata, she told the audience that the OAE really appreciated the audience because they really like it when the audience is enthusiastic for the music -- or something like that. Then she seemed at ease as she perfectly ripped through very difficult runs of short notes over wide ranges, slightly rocking with the fast rhythm of the notes. Perfect! The words were also thought provoking.<BR/><BR/>The show concluded with a Bach piece featuring three violin soloists and a whirlwind climax of notes by all the talented players of the OAE.<BR/><BR/><BR/>On Thursday night at Temple Israel, I saw the other OAE and SPCO performance and enjoyed that program. I thought the SPCO played flawlessly under the direction of Ruggero Allifranchini from his concertmaster chair. However, the Friday performance by OAE was memorable.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15970978543679561031noreply@blogger.com