vivaldiswomen

Issue #44

Last Update March 2, 2006

Arts Vivaldi's Women by Gert Innsry May 18, 2005 Early Music New York closed its 30^th Anniversary season with an all Vivaldi concert, “Vivaldi's Women”. Vivaldi, a priest, spent most of his career at the Ospedale della Pieta, an institution for orphaned and illegitimate girls and foundlings. Beginning as a violin teacher, he rose to master of the orchestra and resident composer during his forty year stay. Much of his music was written for the orchestra and chorus of the female population, hence the title of this EMNY concert. Beautifully performed by an all-female ensemble, under the leadership of Frederick Renz, EMNY's director, this concert of secular and sacred music was another jewel in the crown of excellent performances for which Early Music New York is noted.

The small EMNY orchestra of original instruments consisted of seven violins, two violas, two cellos, a violone (a bass viol), organ, harp and harpsichord. This ensemble was joined by Abigail Fischer, alto, in the Introduzione“ Filiae maestae Jerusalem” and the Motet “Clarae stellae, scintellate”, and Daphne Mora on sopranino recorder in the concerto for sopranino recorder and orchestra in C major.

Vivaldi has an easily identifiable sound; his stylistic tics pervade his music, making it possible to drop sections from many of his pieces into the middle of his most famous work, “The Four Seasons”, without them seeming out of place. The concerto in g minor which opened the concert certainly qualified as one of these. The rapid, repeated strokes on the low strings of the violins, and the stock section endings made this piece seem familiar even to a first time listener.

The vocal pieces which followed were a treat. Ms. Fischer has a pleasing, mellow alto voice, with a slight tendency to weaken at the bottom of its range, but which provided the audience an excellent example of the richness to be found in the low female voice. The Introduzione was written as a preface to liturgical music; the motet is also religious in nature, but not liturgical. Often used as a showpiece for favored singers, these two compositions were an appropriate display of Ms. Fischer's talents.

The short Sinfonia al Santo Sepolcro in b minor for orchestra is a slow piece full of difficult harmonies, and was well performed by the EMNY orchestra. It was immediately followed by the livelier Concerto for 4 violins, 2 violas, cello and continuo, also in b minor. In this number, solo passages rotate among the violins, with duets forming and dissolving as the piece progresses. Both of these compositions showcase Vivaldi' s inventiveness as a composer. Frederick Renz, conducting from the keyboard, saw to it the his players supported that inventiveness with skillful and accurate performance.

The stand-out performance of the evening was Daphna Mor's. Performing without a score, she made the Concerto for sopranino recorder and orchestra in C major a recorder tour de force. The sopranino can be a shrill instrument, but Ms. Mor gave it a warm yet edgy tone that thrilled the audience. All but dancing to the music, she conveyed her delight in this delightful, difficult concerto to her listeners. Her agile fingering and superb breath control made the rapid runs, complicated ornaments and extended phrases seem easy. The audience shouted its approval.

The Concerto in A major for orchestra concluded the concert. Vivaldi's Women (and Frederick Renz's women) acquitted themselves well.

The 2005-2006 EMNY season, beginning in November, will include concerts of Burgundian Chansons, a Bohemian Christman, Bach's Progeny and Rameau's Orchestra. See www.EarlyMusicNY.org for more information.