Bach for a 12th year
BY MICHAEL RUKAVINA OBSERVER Staff Writer
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6/9/2007 - Some of North America's most talented musicians are gathering to pay homage to comedy in baroque music during the 12th annual Bach and Beyond music festival. The first of three concerts began Friday evening at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House to the delight of baroque and music connoisseurs alike.
Every year the festival is set to a theme with this year's theme being comedy in baroque music. Fredonia Opera House Executive Director Rick Davis said audience members will be able to enjoy work from some lesser-known composers who were inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach.
"The Bach, refers to Johann Sebastian Bach, which is the foundation of the festival," Davis said.
"But the 'Beyond' means that some of the lesser-known composers who took their inspiration from Bach, so this year you could say it's a bit more of a 'Beyond' concert."
If you closed your eyes during the performance you could actually paint a picture rather easily — a jester, a queen, high tea — any and or similar elements that tickled your fancy were easy to imagine during the performance. This year's concert, although much different from the Mozart theme of last year, was in fact the driving force behind this year's theme.
"Last year we focused on Mozart, but that didn't mean we were becoming a Mozart Festival," wrote Artistic Director and Conductor Grant Cooper. "It was Mozart's enormous contribution to last year's festival that led me to think about Haydn. Much has been said about Haydn's penchant for humor in his music which is how this summer's program evolved from last year's festival. Humor in music, and especially in Haydn's music, usually involves an expectation unrealized. In all cases, as in all humor, the joke only comes across if one knows the expected outcome, in order to be surprised when it is not realized."
During Friday evening's performance the likes of Croft, Monteverdi, Telemann and Bach were performed by 16 artists who played as if they were 100. Saturday concert-goers will have the chance to listen to pieces by Tartini, Sperger, Telemann, and P.D.Q. Bach. During Sunday's matinee, Haydn, Telemann and Vivaldi will be featured.
Artists performing over the course of the festival include: Julie Leven, Margie Cooper, Ian Jessee, Jennifer Peracchia and Inga Malejs Yanowski on violin; Brian Walnicki on viola; Bryan Eckenrode and Amber Ghent on violoncello; Jon Pascolini on contrabass; Karl Paulnack on keyboard; Susan Royal on flute; Cheryl Bishkoff, Mark DuBois, and Sarah Hamilton on oboe; John Gillette on bassoon and Marc Guy on horn.
Davis said the musicians who perform put a lot into what he calls the communities chance to witness baroque music in the community living room.
"My sense is that it was an attempt to extend the baroque music to an audience beyond the college," Davis said in regard to the start of the festival. "Because you can attend a lot of these classical music concerts at the college, and this being the communities living room so to speak, we wanted to bring baroque music to the communities living room and introduce it to a wider audience."
The festival continues tonight beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the box office between 2 and 5 p.m., or up until show time at the door.
Every year the festival is set to a theme with this year's theme being comedy in baroque music. Fredonia Opera House Executive Director Rick Davis said audience members will be able to enjoy work from some lesser-known composers who were inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach.
"The Bach, refers to Johann Sebastian Bach, which is the foundation of the festival," Davis said.
"But the 'Beyond' means that some of the lesser-known composers who took their inspiration from Bach, so this year you could say it's a bit more of a 'Beyond' concert."
If you closed your eyes during the performance you could actually paint a picture rather easily — a jester, a queen, high tea — any and or similar elements that tickled your fancy were easy to imagine during the performance. This year's concert, although much different from the Mozart theme of last year, was in fact the driving force behind this year's theme.
"Last year we focused on Mozart, but that didn't mean we were becoming a Mozart Festival," wrote Artistic Director and Conductor Grant Cooper. "It was Mozart's enormous contribution to last year's festival that led me to think about Haydn. Much has been said about Haydn's penchant for humor in his music which is how this summer's program evolved from last year's festival. Humor in music, and especially in Haydn's music, usually involves an expectation unrealized. In all cases, as in all humor, the joke only comes across if one knows the expected outcome, in order to be surprised when it is not realized."
During Friday evening's performance the likes of Croft, Monteverdi, Telemann and Bach were performed by 16 artists who played as if they were 100. Saturday concert-goers will have the chance to listen to pieces by Tartini, Sperger, Telemann, and P.D.Q. Bach. During Sunday's matinee, Haydn, Telemann and Vivaldi will be featured.
Artists performing over the course of the festival include: Julie Leven, Margie Cooper, Ian Jessee, Jennifer Peracchia and Inga Malejs Yanowski on violin; Brian Walnicki on viola; Bryan Eckenrode and Amber Ghent on violoncello; Jon Pascolini on contrabass; Karl Paulnack on keyboard; Susan Royal on flute; Cheryl Bishkoff, Mark DuBois, and Sarah Hamilton on oboe; John Gillette on bassoon and Marc Guy on horn.
Davis said the musicians who perform put a lot into what he calls the communities chance to witness baroque music in the community living room.
"My sense is that it was an attempt to extend the baroque music to an audience beyond the college," Davis said in regard to the start of the festival. "Because you can attend a lot of these classical music concerts at the college, and this being the communities living room so to speak, we wanted to bring baroque music to the communities living room and introduce it to a wider audience."
The festival continues tonight beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the box office between 2 and 5 p.m., or up until show time at the door.
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