Emma Murphy (recorders) Steven Devine (harpsichord) Susanna Pell (viols)
Da Camera
4 February 2018 at 4.00 pm
Da Camera will present a Baroque Feast, featuring works by Telemann, Buxtehude, J.S. Bach, and Lotti, together with works by their British contemporaries.
The members of Da Camera, both individually and as an ensemble, have long been at the forefront of the Early Music scene.
Trio Sonata in A minor for recorder and bass viol G.P. Telemann (1681-1767)
Praeludium and Fugue in G minor BuxWV 163 D. Buxtehude (1637 – 1707)
Recorder Sonata in A minor F. Mancini (1672-1737)
Scotch Tune by Mr. Solomon Eckles Solomon Eccles (1617-1682)
Mortlack’s Ground John Blow(1649-1708)
Division Upon a Ground: Bellamira Solomon Eccles
Interval
Trio Sonata in F Major for recorder and bass viol A. Lotti (1667-1740)
Gamba Sonata no. 1 in G Major, BWV 1027 J. S. Bach (1685-1750)
When She Cam Ben Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) arr. Da Camera
Cock Up Your Beaver Turlough O’Carolan arr. Da Camera
Trio Sonata in G minor for recorder and treble viol G.P. Telemann
Praeludium and Fugue in G minor BuxWV 163 D. Buxtehude (1637 – 1707)
Recorder Sonata in A minor F. Mancini (1672-1737)
Scotch Tune by Mr. Solomon Eckles Solomon Eccles (1617-1682)
Mortlack’s Ground John Blow(1649-1708)
Division Upon a Ground: Bellamira Solomon Eccles
Interval
Trio Sonata in F Major for recorder and bass viol A. Lotti (1667-1740)
Gamba Sonata no. 1 in G Major, BWV 1027 J. S. Bach (1685-1750)
When She Cam Ben Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) arr. Da Camera
Cock Up Your Beaver Turlough O’Carolan arr. Da Camera
Trio Sonata in G minor for recorder and treble viol G.P. Telemann
REVIEW
No OMS music lover will complain about a lack of variety in this season’s concerts. From string quartet in October, we moved to the hunting field and interstellar space with Richard Watkins’ memorable French Horn recital in November, and last Sunday we had the most intimate offering, literally chamber music, from Da Camera. Emma Murphy playing (four) recorders, Susanna Pell playing bass and treble viol, and Steven Devine playing harpsichord, all consummate musicians, held us in thrall with their Baroque Feast, a programme of music centred around the early 18th century
This is music written with the delectation of the performer in mind: music making was a social grace practised in the homes of the enlightened music lover. Yet what we heard showed how composers had lavished their skills in crafting these exquisite gems, art to be relished in the playing, and for us now, in the listening.
Last year marked the 250th anniversary of the death of Georg Telemann, yet this passed our musical world with scarcely a ripple beyond those already in the know. Da Camera showed what we had been missing in opening and closing their concert with two of his Trio Sonatas: recorder and viol intertwining in intricate melody set against filigree decoration from the harpsichord – sheer perfection in the ear and the mind.
Steven Devine has been acknowledged as one of the country’s leading harpsichordists for some years. On his return to OMS, his solo contribution was a Praeludium and Fugue by the other Baroque master, Buxtehude. No academic exercise, the title disguised an amazing variety of kaleidoscopic tones and textures, realised by Steven with imagination and exotic flair.
The names of Mancini and Lotti, in a musical context, are known only to the well-informed – the two sonatas we heard must have left many of us wondering how we came to be so deaf and blind to these gems. There must be hundreds more awaiting discovery by the curious ear.
All the performers spoke about their instruments and the works they were playing; they wore their scholarship and authority lightly, without hiding their obvious enthusiasms.
Those in the know were not going to allow this concert to be missed – recorder players were to the fore in our audience and helped to swell the numbers well beyond expectations. They went away enthusing about what they had heard and enjoyed. So did we all.
No OMS music lover will complain about a lack of variety in this season’s concerts. From string quartet in October, we moved to the hunting field and interstellar space with Richard Watkins’ memorable French Horn recital in November, and last Sunday we had the most intimate offering, literally chamber music, from Da Camera. Emma Murphy playing (four) recorders, Susanna Pell playing bass and treble viol, and Steven Devine playing harpsichord, all consummate musicians, held us in thrall with their Baroque Feast, a programme of music centred around the early 18th century
This is music written with the delectation of the performer in mind: music making was a social grace practised in the homes of the enlightened music lover. Yet what we heard showed how composers had lavished their skills in crafting these exquisite gems, art to be relished in the playing, and for us now, in the listening.
Last year marked the 250th anniversary of the death of Georg Telemann, yet this passed our musical world with scarcely a ripple beyond those already in the know. Da Camera showed what we had been missing in opening and closing their concert with two of his Trio Sonatas: recorder and viol intertwining in intricate melody set against filigree decoration from the harpsichord – sheer perfection in the ear and the mind.
Steven Devine has been acknowledged as one of the country’s leading harpsichordists for some years. On his return to OMS, his solo contribution was a Praeludium and Fugue by the other Baroque master, Buxtehude. No academic exercise, the title disguised an amazing variety of kaleidoscopic tones and textures, realised by Steven with imagination and exotic flair.
The names of Mancini and Lotti, in a musical context, are known only to the well-informed – the two sonatas we heard must have left many of us wondering how we came to be so deaf and blind to these gems. There must be hundreds more awaiting discovery by the curious ear.
All the performers spoke about their instruments and the works they were playing; they wore their scholarship and authority lightly, without hiding their obvious enthusiasms.
Those in the know were not going to allow this concert to be missed – recorder players were to the fore in our audience and helped to swell the numbers well beyond expectations. They went away enthusing about what they had heard and enjoyed. So did we all.