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EARLY MUSIC REVIEW
Two Vivid Theater Pieces of the French Baroque
April 8, 2001
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By Anna Carol Dudley
Anyone inclined to consider French Baroque music an acquired taste would surely have acquired that taste Saturday night at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, thanks to a committed, dramatic performance by Warren Stewart's ensemble, Magnificat. Eight gifted singers, accompanied by flutes, viols and basso continuo, brought two of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's theater pieces vividly to life.
Actéon, a "Pastorale en Musique," is the more compelling of the two, rich in characterization and emotional depth. Diana, goddess of the hunt, eschews the pleasures and torments of love. So does the mighty hunter Actaeon. But in an accidental encounter, he sees Diana bathing. His punishment is to be turned into a stag and then hunted and killed by his own dogs.
Marc Molomot's galvanizing performance of the title role was a dramatic marvel. His haute-contre voice, the high tenor used in much French Baroque music, was perfect for this role, and his mastery of phrasing, coloring of key words, dynamics, and timing was complete. Even in this concert performance, he was off book at key points, and his every gesture was telling. The moment of his gradual change into a stag, beautifully written and accompanied only by a plucked bass viol line, was riveting. Catherine Webster as Aréthuse sang with grace and spirit about the pleasures of being free from love's entanglements — sentiments ironically echoed by Actaeon. Jennifer Ellis brought a more penetrating sound to Diana, especially in her angry exchanges with Actaeon. Judith Nelson as Juno had the even more thankless job of taking credit for Actaeon's downfall in a fit of spite against her husband Jupiter.
Les Arts Florissants, an "Idylle en Musique," is one of those allegorical works that could be tedious, but in Charpentier's hands is full of musical and verbal invention, and in Magnificat's performance was thoroughly delightful. The power of the Arts is challenged by Discord, in a tongue-twisting fusillade magnificently fired off by bass Peter Becker. He is supported by a chorus of Furies, and the Arts by a chorus of warriors (lovely idea: Has the NEA thought of producing this work with the help of an Army chorus and the Marine band?). Webster sang the part of Music, Ellis, Poetry, Ruth Escher, Architecture, and Molomot, Painting — artistic performances all. Peace appears on the scene to chastise Discord and his followers and to praise Louis XIV for maintaining her position in his kingdom. Nelson sang Peace with beguiling sound and impeccable French. The Arts and their warriors rejoiced in a closing sarabande. Both works abounded in lovely choral writing, ably sung by the eight solo voices in varied combinations — strongly anchored by Becker and tenor Scott Whitaker, filled out in the middle by Molomot and haute-contre Ken Fitch, and floated on top of by the four women. The quintet mourning Actaeon's fate was particularly moving, and the chorus of Furies was terrific.
The orchestra consisted of two flutists, Matthias Maute and Louise Carslake, alternating recorders with traversi, two treble viols played by Mary Springfels and Julie Jeffrey, and continuo played by John Dornenburg, bass viol, and Katherine Shao, harpsichord. These seemingly small forces were skillfully deployed to provide a variety of instrumental colors. Switching from traversi to soprano recorders to make a "fearful noise" didn't quite do the trick (perhaps sopraninos would, but shawms would be even better). But combining traversi with Peace, and alto recorders and viols with Actaeon's sad transformation, worked very well. The players matched the singers in quality and commitment. Warren Stewart conducted from memory, guiding his ensemble through tricky meter changes and rhetorical flourishes with a sure hand. (Anna Carol Dudley is a singer, teacher, member of the faculties of the University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco State University [lecturer emerita] and director of the San Francisco Early Music Society's Baroque Music Workshop.) ©2001 Anna Carol Dudley, all rights reserved |
