15.03.2007 "Die Rheinpfalz"
Journey in time to baroque Italy
On Sunday Capella Caesarea sent its audience on a journey in time during their concert in the protestant church in Haardt. Not only the instruments were witness to the past, also the performance practice was from baroque north Italy.
Venice in the C17th: a magnificent town and an attraction for many musicians and significant artists. It was exactly this picture many visitors at the concert seemed to have in their minds as they heard the instruments of the period.
The ensemble presented the first part of the programme from the church choir. The listeners were able to familiarise themselves with the instruments: the cornet, dulcian (baroque bassoon), chitarrone, baroque violin, sackbut (baroque trombone) and organ, later the harpsichord. After the “Canzon La Bandina” by Giulio Mussi the musicians took up their positions amongst the audience in the altar space and continued their concert. One climax was the solo performance on the chitarrone by Andrea Baur, who interpreted the “Toccata Seconda Arpeggiata” by Girolamo Kapsberger. The listeners could enjoy the plucked chords of the lute-like instrument. In Benedetto Re’s “Canzone francese”, Capella Caesarea split up into two groups which then communicated from different places in the hall in a sort of musical dialogue: sackbut, cornet and harpsichord performed from the altar space by the audience, whereas the violin, chitarrone and dulcian “spoke” from the choir. This way of playing had its origins in Venetian polychoral performance, where an ensemble used the architecture of a church or hall, and positioned themselves in different corners. Colourful contrasts between the instrumental groups are formed this way. The historical performance practice of the ensemble was well received by the Haardt audience. What sort of effect would the ensemble and our modern music culture have in that period? Capella Caesarea would certainly not have had any problems convincing the jury “la giuria”, consisting of Monteverdi and Vivaldi, in the Concorso “Venice’s next baroque ensemble”. The performance would be granted an “eccellente” from Monteverdi. It would immediately be chosen to be resident ensemble in the “Scuola Grande di San Rocco”, one of the artist schools of the time. If there was any doubt on the part of the jury, the audience would vote per hand sign immediately for Capella Caesarea – like today. With the only difference that in the Haardt Church it was an audible and strong applause. (wist)