TBSI and Festival Montreal Baroque, part 1

Hello all,

Sorry to be gone for so long but I've been incredibly busy!

I've recently completed my third TBSI and am just finishing up two weeks at the Festival Montreal Baroque playing with la Bande Montreal Baroque before heading back to Ottawa in time for my birthday. It's been a very intense month musically and I'm very grateful for all of the lessons I've learned.

A 21st Century Dilemma

So I was asked this past Monday if I could perform the solo in the Domine Fili movement of Caldara's Missa Dolorosa. They gave me the sheet music and told me I had a few hours to accept or not (the gig was this evening). Instead of reading the sheet music, I decided to go online and find a Youtube video or Naxos Music Library recording somewhere. Interestingly, I couldn't find anything. It was only then did I looked at the sheet music and accept the gig.

Conflicted over modern performances of baroque music part 1

Although I'm all for the promotion of baroque music, I’ve become conflicted after attending the most recent all-baroque concert by the National Arts Centre Orchestra. The performance included one of my all time favourites, Corelli’s Concerto Grosso Op.6 no. 4, as well as a few very interesting Handel Arias and was played at a very high technical standard. Although the performance was very ‘clean’ I couldn’t help but feel that it gave off the air that baroque music lacked depth, a common comment I hear from modern orchestra-goers. Another bothering part of the performance involved the soloists in the concerto grosso remaining in their seats and not being acknowledged at the end. The write-up in the program mentioned that Corelli’s music is usually left in the realm of ‘historically informed performers’, maybe it’s such a rarity to perform a concerto grosso that the conductor didn’t think to acknowledge the soloists? The conductor, Mr. McGegan, was brought in from the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra so surely that must not be the case.

A Funny Coincidence

On Sunday, April 10th I performed a short recital before a performance of Stainer’s Crucifixion by a local church choir. I enjoyed myself and, as all work towards the recital was paid for, I managed to squeeze out a ‘prep’ recital with the organist at no cost to me. It was nice to perform for a completely fresh audience for once and they seemed to be very pleased by my performance (phew!). I performed the Mozart Concerto and Elgar’s Romance, Op.62.