News
Press Release
July 2004.
Boston Baroque’s Monteverdi Vespers Greeted with Cheers and Standing Ovations in Los Angeles, Ravinia, and Tanglewood
Boston Baroque celebrated its 30th Anniversary this summer with its
debut performances in three major American classical music
venues. The ensemble performed its Grammy-nominated
interpretation of the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 twice in its home base
of Boston, and then toured the Vespers to Los Angeles’s stunning new
Walt Disney Concert Hall and to the summer music festivals at Ravinia
and Tanglewood.
All three performances drew large and enthusiastic audiences which responded with standing ovations, cheers, and cries of ‘bravo’—and, in the case of LA, with whistles of a kind Bostonians usually reserve for Red Sox games. Soloists for the tour were Sharon Baker and Kristen Watson, sopranos; Mark Tucker, Lynton Atkinson, and Frank Kelley, tenors; and Nicholas Isherwood and Mark Andrew Cleveland, basses.
The first stop on the tour took place June 8 at the most talked-about new concert venue in the country, the fabulous Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry. LA Times music critic Mark Swed wrote of “the skill of [BB’s] period-practice technique…[their] fluidity, seamless choral singing of contrapuntally complex music, [and] stylistic expertise.”
On July 1, BB traveled to the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony, for a performance in another architecturally distinguished venue—the beautiful, prairie-style, 850-seat Martin Hall (no relation to Martin Pearlman!). John von Rhein, head music critic for the Chicago Tribune, praised:
“…the exultant reading by Martin Pearlman, the group’s Chicago-born director, his period instruments orchestra, chorus and soloists… Boston Baroque’s contingent of 24 instrumentalists, 30 choristers and seven soloists sounded opulent…
“Pearlman and Boston Baroque have recorded the Vespers for Telarc, and their Ravinia performance…was hardly less accomplished. The conductor set quick but never rushed tempos, enforcing firm rhythm to keep the textures lucid and distinct. His chorus was a wonder, their singing combining an ethereal purity of tone with expressive fervor. Pearlman fielded a nimble continuo group and drew especially stylish contributions from the wooden cornettos, antique trombones and piping recorders, as well as from duo violinists Marilyn McDonald and Julie Leven. The soloists proved consistently good.”
The tour ended July 6 on perhaps the highest note of all and in the most acoustically appropriate venue—Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood. Richard Dyer wrote in the Boston Globe:
“The performance at Tanglewood sounded perfectly beautiful…”
PRESS RELEASE
May 2003
Boston Baroque Greeted with Standing Ovations in Krakow and Warsaw
BOSTON BAROQUE’s European debut performances were met with prolonged standing ovations, as the ensemble brought its internationally acclaimed interpretation of Handel’s Messiah to Krakow and Warsaw, Poland during Holy Week. Music Director Martin Pearlman conducted the Boston Baroque period-instrument orchestra and chorus, with soloists Sharon Baker, soprano, Mary Phillips, mezzo-soprano, Carl Halvorson, tenor, and Kevin Deas, bass-baritone.
The Poland tour was undertaken at the invitation of Elzbieta Penderecki, wife of composer Krzysztof Penderecki, and Artistic Director of the Seventh Annual Beethoven Easter Festival in Krakow, whose theme this year was “Beethoven and the Baroque.” The Festival performance took place on April 17 in Krakow’s Philharmonic Hall for an overflow house that went to Standing Room Only. (More than one hundred and fifty listeners stood throughout the two-and-three-quarter-hour performance.) At the final ‘Amen’ the audience leapt to their feet, calling Pearlman and the soloists back again and again. Bouquets of yellow roses were handed to Pearlman and the soloists, and individual yellow roses were given to each orchestra and chorus member as the audience continued their rhythmic clapping. After several minutes and hurried onstage consultations, Pearlman led the ensemble in a thrilling encore performance of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’. The complete performance was broadcast live on Polish Radio and will be aired by member nations of the European Broadcasting Union.
Much the same scene was repeated the next evening, as Boston Baroque presented the first Good Friday concert in Warsaw’s historic National Philharmonic Hall—once again to a capacity house, standing ovation, and the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ encore.
It was a thrilling experience for Pearlman and the ensemble—to bring European art music to the heart of Europe and be received with such warmth and enthusiasm.
Following the Krakow performance, Krzysztof Penderecki wrote to Mr. Pearlman:
“Dear Martin,
Again, I am sending you my warmest congratulations on your
unforgettable performance of Handel’s Messiah at the 7th Beethoven
Easter Festival in Cracow. Members of Boston Baroque Orchestra and
Chorus displayed great artistry…The concert was enthusiastically
received by the audience and critics alike…I very much hope that Boston
Baroque will return to Cracow…Elzbieta, in her capacity as Artistic
Director, plans to include Boston Baroque conducted by you in the
events of the Easter Festival 2005.
With kindest regards to you and all the ensemble,
Krzysztof.”
Early reviews are in from the Polish daily newspapers, to be followed in a few weeks by the German music press. Festival photos will be available May 1. The following translations of review excerpts were provided by Festival staff:
GAZETA WYBOREZA (Warsaw-based, internationally recognized Polish daily)
“Handel’s Messiah resounded in the Cracow Philharmonic
Hall…Led by Martin Pearlman, Boston Baroque is a famous baroque
orchestra playing on period instruments [giving Messiah]
perhaps its true and original sound…Truly impressive was the
choir…[which] moved us with unbelievable dynamics.”
RZECZPOSPOLITA (Warsaw daily)
“Impressive artistry and…fantastic sound…light and full of spontaneous
joy.”
TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY (Krakow daily)
“On Holy Thursday, we had a foretaste of Easter joy. The Great “Messiah” by Handel…sounded truly joyful…[with] the radiance of the singing
and instruments…The power of the performance was shown not only in the
shaping of the dramatic scheme but also by Boston Baroque’s ensemble
sound and consistently strong group of soloists.”
The Krakow Festival is an important destination for Central European music lovers and attracts the major music critics of Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. This season’s other Festival performers included Bach-Collegium Stuttgart under Helmuth Rilling; English Chamber Orchestra; Warsaw Chamber Opera; pianists Christoph Eschenbach, Piotr Anderszewski and Rudolf Buchbinder; and the Polish National Radio Symphony
BOSTON BAROQUE turns its attention to domestic touring next year, to mark its 30th Anniversary Season. Martin Pearlman will lead the ensemble in its West Coast debut, performing the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 on June 8, 2004, as part of the inaugural season of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s much-anticipated new hall, designed by Frank Gehry.