by Kevin T McEneaney
A dozen talented musicians performed an eclectic, uninterrupted two-hour concert presenting thirty-six short Baroque pieces on the Harmony of the Spheres theme at Saint Joseph Church in Millbrook. The acoustics in the Church were amenable, and the non-ticketed concert was free to the public as part of the annual Millbrook Community Day program, sponsored by the Millbrook Music Salon series of concerts.
They opened with “Sfere amiche” (“Friendly spheres”) by Agostino Steffani (1654-1728), a composer, singer, bishop, ambassador, opera composer, mathematician, and theologian who spent most of his life in Germany writing a large body of music that greatly influenced Handel. This sonorous opening with Kako Boga on first violin set the table for this exquisite musical banquet.
There were four pieces on The Moon, the most exciting of which was Musette from 4e livre de viole by Marin Marais (1656-1728), a composer whom I have long admired. This lively excerpt was a showcase piece for Jason Fisher on viola, who delivered a riveting performance that brought the moon closer to our ears.
Rebecca Nelson, violinist and composer, wrote and performed in a charming arrangement of a work by Athanasius Kircher (1602-1696), who claimed that everything audible could be made visible and vice versa.
Of the four pieces on Mercury, “Symphony for Mercury” by John Eccles of London (1868-1735), who wrote charming songs and keyboard music, here featured harpsichordist Robert Warner. An operatic “Vivace” by Giuseppe Valentini supplied a climactic conclusion.
Of the five pieces on Venus, Ciaccona in A Major by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (1620-1680), arranged by Rebecca Nelson, featured Cameron Welke on plangent theorbo.
On the theme of the Sun, harmony was golden in a Largo by Handel (1685-1759) where violist Jason Fisher once more excelled. On violin, Toma IIiev was impressive in an Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) Sarabande and an unusual work by G.P. Telemann (1681-1767), the most prolific of all Baroque composers, and here, cellist Cullen O’Neil was mesmerizing.
I confess to not being enthused about Mars and warriors. Yet the brash concluding of the fifth Mars piece, an Allegro by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), offered the opportunity for Georgeanne Banker to show off her skill on the bassoon and Sue Yelanjian on bass.
Jupiter brought forth two impressive pieces by Jean-Baptiste Lully, who celebrated the triumph of love in emphatic gallantry amid the secrecy of a forest, with the violins of Anelia Eddy, Natalie Kress, and Rebecca Nelson blazing in mighty majesty.
Saturn brought forth the vigor of “Christ lag in Todesbanden” (Christ lay in death’s bonds) by J.S. Bach (1685-1750), which supplied an early Bach narrative church cantata (perhaps his earliest) that is still sung by choirs. (Bach diligently rose at 5 am every day to work on his music.) This gave harpsichordist Robert Warner another chance to finger the keyboard with aplomb.
Also impressive was “Fuga” from Concerto Grosso in E minor by William Boyce (1711-1779), who wrote for the stage and church under George III, but eventually became deaf and found a new career as collector and editor of multitudinous music scores and songs.
Three pieces on the Harmony of the Spheres concluded the concert. In another Vivaldi piece, the violins soared with startling energy, and the Finale by Corelli had every instrument blazing and the audience jumping from their pews to respond in delirious applause that demanded two long bows from these talented musicians.
