The Soul Awaits (10/31/24)

This was part of the Gotham Early Music Scene's weekly programs.

Rita Lilly ~ Soprano, Cléa Galhano ~ Recorder, Peter Sykes ~ Harpsichord

Seele deine Spezereien, from Easter Oratorio, BWV 249 – J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
Höchster, was im habe, from Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39 – J.S. Bach
Sonata 1 in G minor from Sonata Metodiche, TWV 41:g3 – G.P. Telemann (1681–1767)
   Adagio ~ Vivace ~ Grave ~ Allegro
The Plaint from The Fairy Queen, Z.269 – Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
Prelude, Fugue & Allegro in E-flat Major, BWV 998 – J.S. Bach
Seele, lerne dich erkennen, TWV 1:1258 – G.P. Telemann
   Andante, Recitative, Vivace

Full disclosure—I have no idea what the numbers and letters mean after the names of the pieces; I just go by the printed (or online) program.

The first Bach piece had a recorder and harpsichord introduction before the soprano joined in. It was essentially a recorder/soprano duet with minimal support from the harpsichord.

The second piece, also Bach, was livelier than the first, thus a little more interesting to me.

The first movement of the Telemann sonata, for recorder and harpsichord, was slow but not particularly gentle. The second was bright and energetic, while the third was slower and, this time, gentle, though it still had some fast fingering for the recordist, including numerous trills. The final movement was brisk, with a bit of a playful feel.

The Plaint was, well, plaintive. The recorder and harpsichord introduced the piece but then it turned into a soprano/recorder duet, trading phrases back and forth. That is, they did not perform together until the very end.

The next Bach piece was a solo harpsichord piece (I had assumed the Telemann Sonata was a solo harpsichord piece). The Prelude was gentle, and it stretched the rhythm a bit, including a dramatic pause, while the fugue was pretty easy to follow and then, attacca* into the Allegro which was pretty much perpetual motion, though there were a few rhythmic pauses.

The first movement of the final Telemann piece had a harpsichord/recorder introduction, then the soprano joined in. It was a long movement, including a repeat of the first part of the movement. The Recitative was pretty much that—a recitation by the soprano and harpsichordist. Storytelling, without runs or melismas (many notes on one syllable). It was speech in song. The Vivace was, indeed, brisk. It included all three performers, and the runs/melismas were back in play. The third movement had a repeat, just as the first movement had. I could have done without the repeats in the first and third movements, but it was probably true to form for the baroque era.

*Do we all remember attacca?—moving from one movement to the next, with no discernible pause?

ConcertMeister