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EARLY MUSIC REVIEW
November 8, 2006
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An Indelible Farewell By Kaneez Munjee
Wednesday’s concert at Berkeley’s First Congregational Church marked Musica Antiqua Köln’s final appearance in the U.S. The German ensemble is on its final tour before it disbands at the end of November, and has only two performances left, in Switzerland and Germany. It is a significant milestone in the early-music world.
Musica Antiqua Köln was founded in 1973, and throughout the years has been an extremely influential ensemble in the field, especially in Germany. Founding director Reinhard Goebel describes it as “just about the only full-time instrumental ensemble in the world.” The ensemble is breaking up due to Goebel’s health problems — he sustained a hand injury nearly 15 years ago, which made him stop playing for a while, and he has not been with the group on its final tour. Instead, the ensemble is being ably led by violinist Ilia Korol.
Each member of Musica Antiqua Köln played with the intensity and focus of a soloist. Korol was the most expressive of the group, and his eyebrows conveyed volumes of information to the other players. In all, the ensemble was tight, the tuning good, and the energy palpable. The ensemble oriented itself almost in a circle, with the harpsichordist in the middle facing the ensemble and with his back to the audience. Goebel explains this practice as “what they write [about] in the 18th century.”
Aurally, this may well approach an 18th century sound. But visually, it creates difficulties for a 21st century audience, as three of the 10 players are almost completely obscured by the placement of the instrument. In music that is written for five (or more) parts, the clarity of the individual lines is greatly enhanced when you can see the players execute them, beyond simply hearing the interplay.
Musica Antiqua Köln The program was devoted to German music of the mid-17th to mid-18th centuries. It began with two sonatas for strings and continuo by Heinrich Bach (J.S. Bach’s great-uncle). These pieces allowed Musica Antiqua Köln’s string blend to shine, and the echo sections in the first sonata were particularly beautiful and effective. Special mention must be made of the continuo group, where the blend between Klaus Dieter Brandt (cello) and Ulrich Wolff (violone) was rich and sonorous. It sounded almost as if the two were one instrument.
The ensemble’s oboes and bassoon joined in for the Septet in E Minor by Telemann and the Overture in G Major by Heinichen. In both of these pieces, the alternations between the concertino sections — winds, with or without harpsichord — and the full ensemble provided some of the most special moments. Musica Antiqua Köln proved adroit at the extensive and quick contrapuntal writing found in both of these works. The air viste at the end of the Heinichen overture stood out for its lightness and dynamism. In each of their respective fourth movements, both pieces also displayed elements of French style, which created an effective contrast to the Germanic style of the rest of the program. Contralto Marijana Mijanovic joined Köln for three pieces. Mijanovic is a true contralto with a deep, rich lower register, and a powerful upper register. On Wednesday night — her Bay Area debut — she sang with an arresting intensity, precise diction, and a keen sense of the drama of each piece. In both Ach, dass ich Wassers gnung hätte, a lament by Johann Christoph Bach, and Widerstehe doch der Sünde by J.S. Bach, Mijanovic brought out the pain and afflictions mentioned in the text. Her facial expressions conveyed the sentiment of the pieces in perfect synchronization with her vocal expressions, and the instrumental ensemble worked deftly with her. Moments that stood out were the da capo of the J.C. Bach lament, which echoed many of the contralto’s motives in Korol’s solo violin, as well as the dramatic recitative in J.S. Bach’s cantata. The final piece on the program, a Latin motet by Jan Dismas Zelenka, also featured Mijanovic. The contrast there between the fury of the opening movement, with its driving lines and arresting cries of “horrida,” and the last movement, an energetic Alleluia, was the greatest testament to her singing prowess. Throughout, Mijanovic sang with utmost precision and surety. Her voice rang on the upper notes and entranced on the lowest. Her voice is a little fuller than that of many American (or British) early music singers. Yet the added robustness was a welcome pairing with the richness of the instrumental ensemble. But from time to time, it was hard to hear her due to the overlap of range between her voice and the accompaniment, and perhaps due to the circular arrangement of the instrumentalists. Wednesday’s audience did not seem bothered by any of these balance issues. It was enthusiastic about the singing and playing alike, and gave Musica Antiqua Köln a warm and heartfelt display of its appreciation. There was no overt sentimentality, from either the audience or the ensemble, regarding the fact that it was their final U.S. appearance. Nonetheless, those who were there will not soon forget the experience.
(Kaneez Munjee is a singer, writer, and editor. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in musicology from Stanford University and is the Media and Publications Director at Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.)
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