Roger Mastroianni
Apollo’s Fire, based in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the nation’s most outstanding Baroque chamber orchestras. Its concerts, and particularly its recordings, have won wide acclaim. The ensemble is, deservedly, a star attraction in the Wisconsin Union Theater’s concert series.
Aside from opening trivia by the 17th-century Marco Uccellini (quite unidiomatically arranged by director Jeanette Sorrell), the program at the March 30 concert at Shannon Hall was devoted to those two giants of the Late Baroque, Antonio Vivaldi and J. S. Bach. And, at that, Bach received the short end of the stick.
From the eight movements of his Suite No. 2 in B minor (BWV 1067), we were given, rather ungenerously, only the latter four. And then, though complete, the two-movement Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G (BWV 1048), written for string nonet with continuo, was played briskly by a somewhat enlarged ensemble. (Sorrell contributed her own florid cadenza to the inter-movement Adagio.)
By contrast, there were three complete concertos by Vivaldi, demonstrating the range of his writing in that form.
The first was the Concerto in B minor for no less than four violins with strings and continuo (Op. 3, No. 10; RV 580) — this was the amazing work that Bach would himself arrange for four harpsichords (BWV 1065). Played In its original Vivaldian form, it benefits from being seen, showing clearly the individual work of the four soloists. Then there was a Concerto in G minor for Two Cellos (RV 531). Its boisterous performance by the two soloists (René Schiffer and Sarah Stone) was quite breathtaking — the high point of the concert for sheer excitement.
And Kathie Stewart, who was the poised and precise soloist in the excerpts from the Bach Suite, was a brilliant exponent of Vivaldi’s Concerto in D for Flute and Strings (Op. 10, No. 3; RV 428). Adapted by the composer from a chamber sonata, it is known as Il Gardellino (The Goldfinch). Its chirpings truly sparkled.
To conclude the program, Sorrell reverted to another of her fanciful transcriptions. This time, it was of Vivaldi’s Trio Sonata in D minor, Op. 1, No. 2 (RV 63), entirely based on the La Folia motif. It became a drastically hyped-up affair, even with a dance scenario for some of the players.
Throughout the concert, Sorrell spoke to the audience about the music and the instruments. And as an encore, the group played, incongruously but lustily, a piece from one of its recordings of rural American music.
