Les Nations – Music from the Time of Louis XIV and XV
By George B. Parous
Over the weekend, Chatham Baroque charmed three audiences with a program featuring the works of 18th-century French composers, opening Friday night at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Upper St. Clair, followed by performances Saturday evening and yesterday afternoon at the Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside. I don’t believe I’ve ever not left one of this ensemble’s performances in a better mood than when I went in, and Saturday evening, when music was so very much needed to soothe a savage breast, I left feeling better than I had in days, with no urge to check the news and wreck the spell.
The “word heard” in the good-sized throng that gathered at Calvary, Saturday evening, was that audience sizes had been encouraging, and this came as great news, because Chatham Baroque is consistently one of the most entertaining musical treats in this city. Whether performing on their own, or augmenting an opera orchestra to lend an authentic tone to one of the older works, their unique sound has a magic to transport one, even if for an hour or so, away from the cares of the day and into some of the most pleasurable music to be performed live in the area.
This weekend, Chatham Baroque was augmented by visiting artists – and very fine ones, indeed. Stephen Schultz, a Carnegie Mellon University music history teacher and director of the university’s Baroque Ensemble, played the Baroque flute in a masterful manner. Caroline Giassi, a freelance performer with an extraordinary education and performance resume, added the fascinating sound of the Baroque oboe. Justin Wallace, a young composer, organist, and harpsichordist, played the last instrument with an air of confidence he could rightfully claim. These three, with Andrew Fouts, the very talented violinist of the ensemble; Patricia Halverson, a Chatham Baroque founding member, and master of the viola da gamba, who exudes serene confidence, and Scott Pauley, the smiling theorbo and baroque guitar virtuoso, made up a sextet more than equal to the demands of the music they chose to perform. Mr. Fouts, Ms. Halverson, and Mr. Pauley all played with the skill and precision they always display. The consistently high standards of attainment in performances are one of Chatham Baroque’s most attractive features.
Their program was named for a composition by François Couperin (1688-1733) featuring sonatas and dance suites, first published in 1726. Since the composer did not specify which instrument played which part of the music he had written, the group spent their rehearsal time in choosing who would play what, “modernizing” the composer’s work by arranging their own orchestration to provide the sound most varied and effective. Their work produced excellent results, for the closing Couperin “Les Nations” selections (and the Jean-Philippe Rameau “Troisième Concert”) were possibly the pieces that roused the greatest audience responses. Not only does the Calvary Church provide excellent acoustics for the musicians – an applauding audience ricocheting from the expanses of stone is an awesome sound in its own right.
The program opened with Couperin’s Huitième Concert dans le goût Théatral (Eighth Concert in Theatrical Flavor, give or take an adjective) – an “ouverture” and six airs, from his Les Goûts-réünis (Reunited Tastes, or thereabouts). The entire group played this piece in a pleasing style that set the tone of the evening, and it was followed by a Joseph Bodin de Boismortier flute and violin concerto. This Sonata No. 3, Op. 51, in D Major, displayed Mr. Fouts’ virtuosity at its finest, and allowed Mr. Schultz to demonstrate his skills to an advantage that won for both a hearty round of appreciation.
Rameau’s Troisième concert from Pièces de clavecin en concerts (Third Concert from Harpsichord Concert Pieces) was a lively audience favorite, and, as already mentioned, the Quatrième Ordre: La Piémontoise from Le Nations (Fourth Order: Piedmontese, from The Nations) closed a concert that seemed to end almost before it started. The six selections of the last piece proved that the work of the ensemble and its guests in arranging the orchestration had yielded excellent results. Applause rang loud and long, and beaming smiles were on the faces of the recalled performers. The concert was an unalloyed joy from beginning to end.
There are two more concerts in Chatham Baroque’s 2021-22 line-up. For more information about the ensemble, its upcoming events, on-demand videos and much more, visit Chatham Baroque.
Categories: Reviews
Leave a Reply Cancel reply