November 15, 16 & 17, 2024
Cathedral of St. Philip (11/15)
Atlanta, Georgia – USA
First Baptist Church of Decatur (11/16)
Decatur, Georgia – USA
Lassiter Concert Hall (11/17)
Marietta, Georgia – USA
“Dance Fever”
Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Julie Andrijeski, artistic director & concertmaster
Christoph GRAUPNER: Overture in C Minor, GWV 413
Jean-Phillipe RAMEAU: Suite from Dardanus
TRADITIONAL (arr. Andrijeski): Spanish Dances
Henry PURCELL: Theatre Music
William Ford | 19 NOV 2024
Located in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, St. Philip’s Cathedral is a large Neo-Gothic church built in 1962 and later expanded. Its sanctuary is vast, with hard surfaces that create a highly reverberant acoustic space and long decay times. This type of acoustic is excellent for music, especially Baroque, though it can be less favorable for the human voice — but more on that shortly.
The cathedral serves as the home of the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra (ABO), a group dedicated to historically informed performances on period instruments. These Baroque instruments differ from their modern counterparts in significant ways. Strings are made of gut and feature shorter necks and convex bows, resulting in a softer sound with a natural taper at the ends of notes, supporting Baroque phrasing. Woodwind instruments lack metal keys, producing a mellow, overtone-rich tone due to the natural materials. The harpsichord, predating the piano, has a crisp, clear, tinkling sound. Period instruments are also tuned slightly lower than modern ones. Together, these features highlight the Baroque aesthetic, which emphasizes ornamentation and articulation, unlike modern instruments designed for precision, projection, and sustain.
These differences are especially apparent when comparing ABO’s performances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s (ASO) recent performance of C.P.E. Bach’s Flute Concerto, which, while expertly played, leaned toward a Classical or early Romantic aesthetic. The ABO, by contrast, offers authentic Baroque interpretations, making their concerts a must for lovers of historically informed performances.
St. Philip’s acoustics enhance the ABO’s warm, blended sound, even smoothing out small performance imperfections. This natural synergy between orchestra and venue creates a truly remarkable listening experience.
The ABO’s second concert of the season, titled Dance Fever, showcased dance-inspired works from the 1600s and 1700s. These dances prioritized style over rhythm, as seen in the elegant minuet, which was more suited to royal gatherings than raucous pubs. Over time, composers transformed these dances into sophisticated concert pieces.
The program opened with excerpts from Henry Purcell’s King Arthur, a semi-opera by England’s greatest Baroque composer. The suite included seven selections, blending dances like the “Hornpipe” and “Grand Dance” with dramatic pieces such as the overture, which transitions from a stately opening to a lively allegro suggesting battle. Other highlights included a pastoral “Air,” a seductive passacaglia, the serene “Fairest Isle,” and a triumphant chaconne. The ABO performed with precision and expressiveness, creating an unforgettable blend of period instruments and the cathedral’s resonant acoustics.
Artistic Director and concertmaster Julie Andrijeski introduced the program, but her narration was difficult to understand due to the same acoustics that so beautifully enhanced the music.
The second piece, Christoph Graupner’s Overture in C Minor, felt more like a suite of dances in today’s parlance. Graupner, a contemporary of Bach, Handel, and Telemann, blended German counterpoint with French elegance. The work opened with a French-style overture, followed by the haunting “Fearful Complaint” and a somber “Tombeau.” The suite also featured a playful “Menuet in Echo,” a cheerful “Air,” and a reflective “Sarabande,” concluding with a spirited final “Menuet.” The ABO’s performance was both introspective and energetic, bringing this lesser-known music to life.
Next was Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Suite from Dardanus, an opera-ballet showcasing the grandeur of French Baroque music. The suite’s eight sections, including dances like the Loure, Rigadoon, and Tambourin, combined elegance, drama, and sophistication. The Tambourin was particularly engaging, with bassist J. Tracy Mortimore adding percussive effects on the bass viol.
The program concluded with a suite of traditional Spanish dances arranged by Andrijeski. The “Gaita”, inspired by northern Spain’s bagpipe traditions, featured a characteristic drone in the low strings. The “Fandango,” with its Andalusian roots, included lively castanets played by bassoonist Ana Marsh. The” Paradetas” employed sudden stops for dramatic effect, while the Jota ended the suite with spirited energy. This was toe-tapping music perfectly captured by Andrijeski’s arrangement.
This concert was nearly flawless, blending the ABO’s skilled musicianship, the beauty of Baroque music, and the sublime acoustics of St. Philip’s Cathedral. While the performance will be repeated at other venues, hearing the ABO at St. Philip’s is truly an unparalleled experience. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Atlanta Baroque Orchestra: atlantabaroque.org
Read more by William Ford.
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