Hot music for hot wather: Baroque Band at Ravinia
July 1, 2009
By M.L. Rantala, Classical Music Critic, Hyde Park Herald.
In 1759 Voltaire mocked the philosophy of Leibnitz- which he summarized in the oft-repeated declaration of Dr. Pangloss, “All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds- with the publication of “Candide.” Adam Smith set out his explanation of sympathy and benevolence in “The theory of Moral Sentiments.” This was the year that George Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis, Mary Wollstonecraft and Friedrich Schiller were born, and the Wedgewood and Guinness companies were founded.
1759 was also the year that George Frederick Handel died. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of his death, Baroque Band’s Ravinia debut on Thursday was devoted entirely to music of the composer most famous for “Messiah.”
The first half of the program was taken up with three well-chosen concerti grossi. The Op.6 No.5 in D major got them off to a good start with its brisk pace. Artistic director Garry Clarke was particularily good at those “take stock” moments when the tempo slows considerably and things become deliberate.
The Op.3 No.5 in D minor put a striking counterpoint on display and featured a lovely, ruminative adagio. The Concerto Grosso Op.6 No.7 in B-flat Major included a dramatic largo with big pauses and big ritardandos, with the low voices of the group particularly persuasive. This piece provided Clarke a wizard of rhythm, a pixie of dynamics, and an acrobat of the toe-standing variety.
The overture to “Semele” opened the second half of the enterprise. Don’t ask too much of the one you love and don’t trust his wife. These are the things we learn from Handel’s opera where the title character, a mere mortal, conducts an affair with the god Jupiter. Angry wife Hera goads Semele into insisting her lover show her his true form. Jupiter eventually obliges, but the result is a fiery visage that incinerates the poor woman. I guess we can add the danger of a fling with a married fellow to the lesson list. The band gave clear voice and lots of punch to the many great musical moments noted in the overture to this scalding hot opera.
The highlight of the evening was the Organ Concerto in F Major, Op.4, No.4, featuring David Schrader, who got things started with and extemporized little prelude. This led to even bigger and better things, including joyful runs that chased each other in rapid succession. Schrader played a tiny organ on wheels (the desk I write at is bigger), but easily forced bug musical ideas out into the open. His playing was characterized by elegance and the ensemble provided a pleasant supporting structure.
The evening came to a close with the Water Music from the Vauxhall Gardens. Clean lines, spot-on intonation, and crisp phrasing all contributed to a fine performance. Clarke, who served as first violin for some of the works, was an apt leader both as conductor and player. His volume control is noteworthy, particularly when starting with a muted sound that gradually grows to hurricane force.
It was a splendid debut: the Martin Theater was nearly full, and the grounds were spotted with far more picnics than might have been expected given the prediction of rain. I hope to hear them at Ravinia again next year.