April 19, 2024
Cathedral of St. Philip
Atlanta, Georgia – USA
April 20, 2024
First Baptist Church
Athens, Georgia – USA
“Jubilee”
Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Julie Andrijeski, artistic director.
Pietro Antonio LOCATELLI: “Introduzione V” from Teatro musicale, Op. 4
Georg Philipp TELEMANN: Concerto for Flute and Recorder, TWV 52:e1
Georg Philipp TELEMANN: Concerto for Flute and Recorder, TWV 52:e1
Francesco DURANTE: Concerto in A major, “La Pazzia”
Antonio VIVALDI: Concerto for Violin and Cello, RV 546
Francesco GEMINIANI: Concerto grosso No. 12, “La Follia”
Jon Ciliberto | 29 APR 2024
Fans of soccer speak of the different national styles: the artistic, fluid Brazilian, and the technically detailed Italian. In the Baroque period, the musical styles of France and Italy influenced Europe, and composers from all over took lessons and transmitted. The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra’s final performance of its 25th season presented these different and intermingled styles in a concert of concerti grossi—a form in which a group of instrumentalists played against the larger ensemble.
The small group is called the “concertino” (“little ensemble”), and the larger group is called the “ripieno” or “tutti.” Much of the form’s aesthetic is in the contrast between the small group and the large, as well as between the distinct thematic material each has.
That this contrast is not a contest (at least in our day) was brought out by Telemann’s Concerto for Flute and Recorder (Janice Joyce, flute, and Kathryn Montoya, recorder). Live, the soloists are not going to win a volume battle (on recordings, these instruments are brought forward somewhat artificially). Instead, each sub-group’s gifts were generously on display. Beyond the basic duality of concertino and ripieno, I noticed, in particular, some lovely textural pairings in the final movement: for instance, the concertino and bassoon (Anna Marsh). These sorts of intimate sonic details are the mark of a great ensemble.
Artistic Director Julie Andrijeski and others from the group made a point, in the program design and in comments from the stage, to underscore both the ensemble’s continuity (four founding members performed at St. Philip’s) and its strong sense of community. Several players described the lifelong musical collaborations formed through their work in the ABO.
As noted from the stage: “We’re all family here.”
Also, Ms. Andrijeski gave opportunities for all the individual players to stand out, both by the works’ expected soloists and by her arrangement of Geminiani’s Concerto with solos for just about everyone else. Although written for two solo violinists, one solo string orchestra, and continuo (which can be any combination of harpsichord, cello, double bass, or bassoon), “in the facsimile parts, Geminiani did not include the full continuo section for every variation” [Andrijeski, via email], which created space for other players to occupy the solo position. “In one variation, the bass line is assigned to the viola; in others, it’s the cello. And since I added winds into the mix, sometimes I gave the continuo part to the bassoon (this was a very common in the 18th century, particularly in England).”
Such intricate details of arrangement aside, for this listener the experience was of sitting in on a roomful of smart people, hearing one conversation here, then another there, but all of them within a single framework.
I especially enjoyed the interplay of viola and bassoon and, more broadly, the thoughtful arrangement, bringing out many of the ABO’s superb players.
The opener, Locatelli’s “Introduzione,” was a brisk palette cleanser, or aperitif, crisply delivered. More substantial, musically, was Telemann’s “La Bizarre,” so named (not by the composer) for the collision of French and Italian styles in its overture. After many twists and turns, the lithely played recorder interwoven dexterously with flute, in the final movement, gave me a needed jolt of energy.
The ABO’s presentation of Durante’s “La Pazzia” (“Madness”) to me sound more like madness’s internal state rather than external expression.
The performance evoked a warm feeling of camaraderie, almost like the last day of the semester, with many hugs between the performers and wistful “I remember whens…” As the last program of the season and the closeout of a 25th season that, throughout, presented “new doors for collaborations [and] touring” (Andrijeski), the performance certainly had a combined air of nostalgia and accomplishment.
While the 2024-2025 season has not yet been announced, Ms. Andrijeski noted in an email that “it will include a concert in collaboration with the American Bach Society Conference that will feature some of the vocal soloists from our Dido production, a Monteverdi Vespers performance with the Cathedral of St. Philip Schola, and two concerts led by guest directors.” ■
Illustration by Jon Ciliberto, April 19, 2024.
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Atlanta Baroque Orchestra: atlantabaroque.org
Read more by Jon Ciliberto.
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