When I on wednesday opened a Czech music magazine Harmonie, I was very surprised I found there a review of this concert. I did an English exercise and try to translate it for you.
So here it is the foto (sorry for the bad quality):
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and my translation of the text (sorry for the even worse quality
):
"
Apollo's fire (by Martin Jemelka)
During the days, when Metz, a city in a heart of French-German area with about 120 thousands inhabitants, was celebrating the 200th anniversary of Ambroise Thomas's birth, had a performance in completely full "Big hall" of local Arsenal, built by Napoleon III. and in 1980s adapted for cultural purposes, also in our country well-known countertenor
Philippe Jaroussky. On Wednesday 16th November accompanied him in 2-hour long program to me till that time unknown American ensemble of period instruments
Apollo’s Fire (The Cleveland Orchestra), conducted from the harpsichord by standing
Jeannette Sorrell, a bewitching artist playing and leading the orchestra with a rich scale of affections. The program called "Feux d’artifice" (Fireworks) dedicated by P. Jaroussky to the organization IRIS, which takes care of patients with immune system malfunctions, was devoted to instrumental and opera works by G. F. Händel and A. Vivaldi. The evening opened Allegro from Vivaldi’s
Concerto grosso in D RV 511 adapted by J. Sorrell as an effective overture for performing string ensemble with contrabass (
Sue Yelanjian), theorbe (
Simon Martin Ellis) and harpsichord as a basso continuo. Allegro attacca resulted to the first Händel’s aria "
Agitato da due tempeste" (
Oreste), followed by a recitative and aria of Orfeo "
Ho perso il caro ben" (
Parnasso in Festa) performed with pleasant dynamics and Jaroussky’s soprano tinged cantilenas with a steady intonation. In Vivaldi’s
Concerto for two violoncellos g moll RV 531 was given an opportunity to well-cooperating couple
René Schiffer and
Mimé Y. Brinkmann, whose dialogically conceived coordination attracted me mainly in the silenced second movement accompanied only by basso continuo. The playing in the most silent dynamics was a big precedence of the American ensemble at all, the surprising one, which I don’t meet not only in case of Czech ensembles of period instruments, but in case of ensembles formed in the last 20 years in general. The first half of the evening concuded a couple of Händel’s arias, at first "
Se potessero i sospir miei" (
Imeneo), in rhythm and expression really the baroque andante, and brilliant aria "
Con l’ali di costanza" (
Ariodante). The second half of the concert opened Händel’s harpsichord
Preludium A dur, also adapted by J. Sorrell and continuously resulting to in terms of sound and affections gracious chaconna by the same author (Parnasso in Festa). Thirdly J. Sorrell proved herself as an efficient arranger in one-movement
Concerto grosso "
La Folia" according to the
Sonata n. 12, which was played with unmisshearable concentration/passion and during which performed a couple of the first violinists
Johanna Novom and
Olivier Brault, who actually was with his brilliant playing and spectacular conception of the performance the second conductor of the evening. The well-known "La Folia" pulled the audience to a frenetic ovation followed only by a couple of Vivaldi’s arias "
Vedro con mio diletto" (
Giustino) and "
Fra le procelle" (
Tito Manlio), where Jaroussky demonstrated a sonant cantilena as well as in terms of expression graded, though after all a bit short-winded (translator's note:
, really can't imagine) coloraturas. The effervescent evening in a splendid hall concluded a group of three vocal encores of Italian provenance with an indispensable "
Ombra mai fu" (
Serse) at the end, which caused the audience was inflamed.
The visit of Metz’s Arsenal is to the Czech audience simply recommended: beside the early music are there performances of a chamber music and jazz. I would especially recommend this excursion to the Czech cultural management, not only once in vain and generously dreaming of new concert halls – there is a plethora of buildings similar to the Metz’s Arsenal in our country. Not so in case of well-done concerts with technically and as for expression equipped countertenors and dynamically and in character amply graded performance of enthusiastics early music ensembles."
