Baroque Orchestra’s “Violin Fantasy” a Mesmerizing Program of 17th Century Gems
By George B. Parous
A very large crowd packed into the Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside yesterday afternoon, Sunday, February 18th, to hear and see Chatham Baroque host a large group of visiting artists, Apollo’s Fire, masters of the period instruments on which they themselves excel, such as the theorbo and viola da gamba, augmented with the rarely heard (here) triple harp and lirone. The acoustic properties of the church proved adequate to send the wonderful music to the back pews, which were all that remained of the seating for those who came too close to the 4 p. m. start time. During the intermission, long lines jammed the CD sales table, and a general mood of satisfaction was the atmosphere that prevailed during the performance, as were the mighty and sincere ovations the players received through the course of the afternoon. Chatham Baroque’s own Andrew Fouts was the only member of the local trio to appear on stage, playing majestically through several of the pieces.
The selections heard yesterday were on a program of “Virtuosity, Drama, and Mystery from Heinrich Biber and His Circle.” The program notes tell us that Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704) was an innovative composer of the later 17th century who pushed the limits of the current musical styles and, perhaps more importantly, musical instruments as they existed in his day. He was a prolific user of scordatura (wrong or mistuning) in his compositions. The term, briefly, is the technique of altering the normal tuning of a stringed instrument to produce particular effects. Violins had no chin rests in Biber’s day, making it extremely difficult for the player to reach the high 6th and 7th positions on the instrument. The program notes tell us that scordatura made possible three things: (1) It allowed the performer to execute otherwise impossible chords, (2) it enabled the violin to ring out more vibrantly, and (3) it enabled the highlighting or storytelling of the instrument by choosing whichever tuning provides the brightness or darkness of the tone desired. The technique was demonstrated and explained before it was used in a couple of numbers.
Andrew Fouts, Chatham Baroque violinist
The visiting artists are all entitled to a mention in the brief space we have. Jeannette Sorrell, a GRAMMY®-winning conductor, also is a skilled organist and harpsichordist who’s earned accolades from the New York Times and other prestigious publications. Yesterday afternoon, she also spoke with educational information which was valuable to many, or some, in the audience. Alan Choo, a charismatic young man quite gifted as a dynamic violinist, also spoke some explanatory information before the concert, in which he was such a highlight, began. As mentioned above, the fascinating Andrew Fouts, the only member of the local trio on stage in yesterday’s concert, played calmly and excellently as is always the case. William Simms is a player of the theorbo and guitar; Anna O’Connell, the triple harp; Rebecca Landell, the ‘cello and viola da gamba, and Kivie Cahn-Lipman the lirone and viola da gamba.
Biber’s Mystery Sonatas dominated both parts of the concert. Sonatas I (“The Annunciation”), IV (“The Presentation”) and X (“The Crucifixion”), all received virtuosic interpretations and hearty audience responses through the afternoon. Biber’s “mysterious” sonatas are what the centuries have passed down to us, with no original notation from the composer that he composed all fifteen of them with Catholic tradition as his core traditional inspiration. Today it’s generally certain that the only minor mystery was solved many years back. He attached a copper engraving at the start of each page – each depicting the traditional and accepted major events in the lives of Jesus Christ. It was obvious what Biber was using as inspiration for the composition.
Usually, the breaking up of a symphony’s movements and rearranging them on a program of another composer’s song cycle wouldn’t be anything special on artistic lines. While this program didn’t exactly fall into that category it was close. But when the list is in the hands of experts on these rarely heard baroque works, it’s made very possible indeed. While the program was almost exclusively the works of Biber, one “Ciaccone” in A Major, by Johann Schmelzer, was included on the first part of the program, and a piece called “Tombeau pour Blancrocher,” by Johann Froberger, on the second.
It was the typical Chatham Baroque concert – you left in a better mood than you were in when you arrived. For more information on yesterday’s music, coming events or to reserve tickets, you can visit the Chatham Baroque website.
I think you’ve misunderstood the term “mysterious”; the “mysteries” pertain to the praying of the rosary, the Marian prayers associated with the beads used as a memory aid. There are 5 groups of “mysteries” upon which a person would pray, that follow the life of Mary. Perhaps there are musical mysteries to uncover in the Biber sonatas in performance, but the scores and woodcuts are pretty cut and dry, as well as the composer’s religious affiliations.