As
one has become to expect, the tight-knit and very accomplished Baroque 2000
ensemble put in a performance to be remembered. (Review by Keith Millar)
After a hiatus of a few months, Baroque
2000 returned to the Mariannhill Church of the Monastery in Pinetown last week
with a concert which had a decidedly Spanish flavour.
Entitled Baroque and Flamenco, the innovative concert included excellent
contributions by the accomplished Spanish guitar wizard Demi Fernandes and
Linda Vargas with her sensuous and passionate flamenco dance. She also provided
amazing and complex rhythms with the castanets.
The concert repertoire included two works
by the maestro Antonio Vivaldi. This prolific composer who was responsible for 46
operas, over 500 concertos, 90 solo sonatas and dozens of choral works was
undoubtedly one of the greats of the baroque era. His cheerful and melodic
Concerto for Strings in B Minor, a short work which was first up on the programme
is an apt demonstration of the richness of his music.
The other Vivaldi work on the programme was
La Follia RV 63. La Follia is actually the name of a folk tune traced back to 15th-century
Portugal. Literally meaning “folly” or “madness,” the tune was used for
rambunctious country dancing. But it was eventually noticed by composers who
began to play with it, eventually forming a playful tradition of writing
variations on the original tune.
German Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher
has been compared to Leonardo da Vinci for his enormous range of interests. He
has published most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology,
Egyptology and medicine along with his music. Included in this concert was his Modo Hypodorico, a collection of
beautiful airs seldom presented in concert.
Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli was one
of the finest masters of the baroque period and his influence in the
development of the violin repertoire is still felt today. His complex Concerto
Grosso in D major Op 6 No 1 was played with skill and panache by the Baroque
2000 ensemble. This piece is the first of a suite of 12 concerti which contains
some of the finest examples of baroque music.
Completing the programme was the First
Guitar Quintet in D major (Fandango) by Luigi Boccherini. Boccherini composed
several Guitar Quintets including this one with its brilliant closing movement
- Fandango - a folk dance that
originated in Spain. This piece allowed Demi Fernandes on the guitar and Linda
Vargas with her castanets and dance to display their excellent talents.
As one has become to expect, the tight-knit
and very accomplished Baroque 2000 ensemble put in a performance to be
remembered. The Baroque 2000 concert series are without doubt one of the
highlights of Durban’s classical music offering.
The next Baroque 2000 concert will take
place on November 3, 2019, and - harking back to the month of October - will be
entitled Baroque and Beer ”Oktoberfest”.
For more information or any queries contact
Michel Schneuwly on 031 312 5539 or 082 303 5241 or at sursouth@iafrica.com –
Keith Millar
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