Seattle Symphony, Bach's Coffeehouse, Jan 10, 2014

I am currently in that stage of life where growing older is very exciting for two reasons in particular: 1. I can better appreciate the subtleties of red wine and 2. I can better appreciate chamber music.

While I still do love large orchestral pieces, with all their pomp and circumstance and three tenor trombones, there is something about the intimacy of smaller groups, in particular the relationships between individual instruments and the lines they sing to each other, that makes eighteen first violins seem a bit...hyperbolic. 

And while I'm at it, I might as well add I've come to enjoy the harpsichord, against all first impressions I had of its kinship to an orchestra of rubber bands.  There is something about the unique tone quality, that distinct Baroqueness, that transports you mentally, not necessarily to the 17th century, but definitely to a foreign land and time wherein imagination is the most important currency and all scenes are painted in Rococo blues and pinks.  And while variance seems impossible given the lack of dynamic and timbrel contrast available, a colorful harpsichordist can fill the instrument with incredible nuance in tone and mood.

The quite colorful, red-headed harpsichordist and conductor of the night, Jeannette Sorrell, filled me with awe and inspiration, and a certain amount of envy.  Her stage presence was sparkling and vivacious, yet tasteful.  Playing aside, the way she interacted with the other musicians in the ensemble both made one aware of her own musicianship and theirs, entwined, reacting with one another, feeding off of one another's energy.  Her playing itself was anything but bland, and certainly the voices of the counterpoint had their own character in spite of the sound being confined to a single dynamic level and tone quality.  Her cadenza in the first movement of the Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, which she self-described as the harpsichord "hijacking the piece", was mind-blowing, like the finale of a fireworks display, notes flying everywhere with no regards for minimalism.  

The two soloists of the Bach Brandenburg Concerto, flautist Demarre McGill and violinist Cordula Merks, also brought a smile to my face tonight.  Bach's conversational writing for these two instruments was brought to life through their talents.  McGill's flute is full of the highest clarity and beauty in every register; Merks draws out the woody quality of her instrument with a powerful bow pulled deep from her core.  Their exchange was delightful; I particularly enjoyed the long parallel melodies in the 2nd movement which, despite being absent of any conventional variation in counterpoint, kept the ear entranced rather than bored.  

I deeply agree with Sorrell's evaluation of the Vivaldi, La folia, as the finest version of an oft-played theme, though I might attribute some of the grandeur to her own arrangement of the piece, from trio to Concerto Grosso.  The instrumental arrangement was, again, delightfully tasteful, and the musicians took to the playfulness of the theme wonderfully, without holding back.  My favorite variation was about 3/4 of the way through, with all the lower instruments playing semi-quavers in fast unison.  It brought out a lovely depth and furthermore enhanced the power of the acceleration into the frenzied dance finale, which the piece is named after.

In conclusion, Ms. Sorrell is an inspiration to aspire to, and I will certainly be listening to more of her music in the future.

-G