The Orchestra Now (3/8/26)

William Tell Overture – Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868)

Faust Ballet Music – Charles Gounod (1818–1893)
The Nubian Women; Adagio; Antique Dance; Cleopatra Variations; The Trojan Women; Mirror Variations; Dance of Phryné

Symphony in D Minor – César Franck (1822–1890)
Lento–Allegro non troppo; Allegretto; Allegro non troppo

(N.B. Fewer observations than usual because the house was so dark that I couldn't scribble notes. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Also, it's rare to hear a live, full orchestra concert for free in NYC. I'm a lucky fellow.)

This was a first for me, hearing the William Tell Overture live. There are several distinct sections to the overture, but almost everyone is familiar with the last one. I was surprised, in a sense, that I was so much more aware of the different sections. And I think that’s because I’m used to hearing engineered recordings—no real breaks, no hearing pages being turned, no chairs/feet scraping, etc. So, while the work seemed a bit choppy to me, I guess hearing the real deal is worth it, giving me a little more insight to both the music and my listening habits. 

The Gounod Faust Ballet Music was also familiar to me, though I’m not sure I’ve heard all seven sections at one time. It was fittingly Romantic (of that compositional era) and brought to mind swirling movements and pretty stage pictures. The seven sections worked well for me, whereas the Rossini didn’t quite flow as a through composed piece. It was lovely all around. 

The Franck symphony was also very enjoyable with broad grand themes and a sense of urgency at times. 

And we were treated to an encore (the first time I’ve heard this orchestra play one)—Dance of the Hours, from La Giocanda by Amilcare Ponchielli. Believe me, you’d recognize it. Probably as “Hello, Muddah, hello Faddah!”  

ConcertMeister

Gotham Early Music Scene (2/26/26)

Lazzuli Baroque – New York Début
Viaggio d’Amore 

Luce Burrell ~ lute & theorbo; Rocky Duval ~ mezzo-soprano; Roseline Lambert ~ soprano; Caroline Nicolas ~ viola da gamba   

Hope 
Io son pur vezzosetta – Claudio Monteverdi (1567−1643) 
Soccorretemi per pietà – Giovanni Felice Sances (1600−1679)  

Infatuation
Godere e tacere – Barbara Strozzi (1619−1677)
Non è di gentil core – Claudio Monteverdi (1567−1643)  

Fighting 
Mentita – Barbara Strozzi (1619−1677)
Dialogo in Partenza – Strozzi   

Breakup
Che si può fare – Strozzi
La vita solitaria – Nicolò Fontei (?−1647)
Ohimè dovè il mio ben – Claudio Monteverdi (1567−1643)  

Happy ending 
Bella mia questo core ~ Amante – Felice Giovanni Stefani (17th century) 
Su su prendi la cetra o pastore – Sigismondo D’India (1582−1629)  

The first work was a vocal duet accompanied by viola da gamba and theorbo. (Do we all remember the theorbo—the lute on steroids?) The piece was fairly lively, with a slower section followed by back to jolly. The second was similar if a little more subdued. There were lots of runs up and down and quite a few melismas—one syllable sung to many, many notes. The piece ended with a slower section. 

The third work was, once again, very similar, which was a bit of a problem. I found myself not quite figuring out where one song ended and the next began, though I did manage to figure out where the fourth started. I lost track of the fifth song altogether. 

The sixth had a short theorbo solo that led into a lament performed by all four.  The seventh was for soprano accompanied by the gamba and theorbo, with the gamba featured quite prominently. 

Beginning with the eighth piece, the lute replaced the theorbo. Oddly, it seemed to have more of a presence than the larger instrument. This work was also a bit of a lament that was both sadder and more subdued. The ninth had a few dissonances that brought to mind some of the music of Carlo Gesualdo, a composer who stretched the ideas of harmony a little. And it captured the sadness quite well. 

The tenth had a lute opening that was a bright beginning to the “Happy ending” section of the program. It featured the mezzo along with the lute and gamba. A repeated rhythm from the lute added, and in fact caused, the drive of the piece. 

The final work brought back the theorbo, and it continued the rhythm driving the vocal duet. The gamba didn’t enter until after the extended opening and then it was time for it to shine. There was a nice build in volume and tempo to bring it to its conclusion. 

I liked the way the program was laid out—on paper. The execution did not quite work as planned, though. At first, I thought that the audience would hold applause until the end of each of the five sections, but that didn’t happen. As a result, each section did not seem to achieve its goal in the arc that looked so nice on paper. And I think that also contributed to not quite knowing where one song/section ended and the next began. Just a minor quibble, though. It was a nice program and exposed me to four composers I’d never heard of—Sances, Fontei, Stefani and D’India. I’m glad I went.

ConcertMeister