The Poetry of Early Music through the Ages

Great title. Unfortunately—hello, winter!—the mezzo-soprano scheduled was indisposed, so there were no vocals (nor poetry), just string trio performances. It’s also most likely that there was a little less rehearsal time than planned, since the program had to be re-vamped on fairly short notice, and this did show in the actual performance.

The program:

London Trio #1 in C Major – Haydn (1732–1809)
Allegro moderato
Andante
Finale/vivace

Renaissance Gems
Flemish
Si acendero in caelum – Nicolas Craen (d. 1507)
La Bernardina – Josquin des Prez (1450–1521)

German [Das Glogauer Liederbuch] – Anon. (ca. 1480)
Die Katzenpfote
Die Seiden Schwanz

English [Jacobean Consort Music, ca. 1600]
Pavan – Anon.
Browning – Elway Bevin

Prelude and Fugue in D minor, K 401a – Mozart (1756–1791)

Organ Trio Sonata VI in G Major – J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
Vivace
Lento
Allegro

The Haydn (added to the program) was a straightforward string trio. I found some of the violin phrasing to be a little choppy, not fully played through to the end of the phrase. Minor quibble.

The Renaissance Gems had more transparent lines, somewhat imitative lines with shifting rhythms, and a lively opening with intricate interplay (Flemish); pizzicato writing (Katzenpfote, totally plucked), and joyous, celebratory, very full sound (German); with stately, strophic writing in the Pavan, and variations that were almost perpetual motion in the Browning (English/Jacobean).

The Mozart unfortunately had a train wreck three quarters of the way through the fugue. As in, grinded to a halt, and had to find a good pickup point. The players finished gamely, though. The Bach was a transcription of an organ trio with the violin (Elizabeth Miller) playing the equivalent of the organ right hand, the viola (and transcriptionist, Louise Schulman) playing the left hand, with the cello (Daire FitzGerald) playing the feet. Ask, if you want to know.

In general, the playing was very good, especially considering the last-minute changes to the program, if a little same/same (see last-minute changes, above). I really like early music, so I was a bit disappointed that the vocalist was under the weather. I was very disappointed that (yet again) a cell phone went off during the concert. Fortunately, it was between pieces, but come on, folks! If you’re going to embrace the 21st century, use common sense and common courtesy.

ConcertMeister