Under the direction of Dame Jane Glover, Music of the Baroque Orchestra gave a spirited performance of musical chestnuts at Ravinia’s Martin Theater on Tuesday night. In doing so, it demonstrated two different aspects of its sound. First was the unmistakable feel of the late baroque from the first half of the 18th Century. Johann Sebastian Bach produced this sound with his Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D-Major, the second movement of which is the famous Air, often referred to as “Air on a g-string.” George Frideric Handel’s Concerto Grosso in a-minor from his Opus 6 collection also represented the late baroque sound.
Second was the transition to the classical style from the end of the 18th Century with the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The concert ended with one of his most expansive symphonies, No. 38 in D-Major, Prague. However, the star attraction at Tuesday’s concert was Chicago-born clarinetist Anthony McGill, currently the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. He performed one of Mozart’s greatest works, which also happens to be one of his last, Clarinet Concerto in A-Major. Many people feel as I do that this concerto’s middle Adagio movement is the most beautiful piece of music ever written.
Things started with Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3. A challenge of this particular suite is the blending of three blaring trumpets with a small string section, two oboes, a bassoon, harpsichord, and kettle drums. Glover and the MOB got the sound just right on Tuesday night. The first violins also gave “Air on a g-string” the right amount of reflection, and the solos by concertmaster Gina DeBello, backed up by William Buchman on bassoon, Collins Trier on bass, and Mark Shuldiner on harpsichord, were excellent.
Glover stood in front of a music stand directly on the stage floor. With no platform to fall from, she conducted with her whole body, which swung and swayed with the music, almost like she was dancing. While she sometimes used a baton in her right hand, she did not use one in the Bach. Few conductors become as one with the music as she does.
The only problem with this performance was the occasional lack of precision in starting musical phases. The opening passage was ragged, with instruments not entering at precisely the same time. This is a recurring issue with MOB. It happened at other times on Tuesday night, especially during Mozart’s Prague Symphony.
Following Bach, the harpsichord was removed, the chairs rearranged, and instruments tuned up when Anthony McGill entered to thunderous applause. With a diminutive but bulky posture and dressed in a tux with an open shirt, McGill cut a commanding presence on the stage. He played the larger basset clarinet, for which Mozart wrote the piece. It became an extension of his body as the purest of clarinet sounds emerged from his windpipe.
There is always some risk to attending a performance of music that is especially dear. Happily on Tuesday night, McGill, Glover, and the MOB orchestra exceeded every expectation. There were many moments of magic. The opening notes were perfect, and in the development, they exhibited great interplay when McGill played syncopated notes, and the orchestra was on beat. During the Adagio second movement, he played that amazing melody like he was floating on air, and the orchestra responded in kind.
The only challenging moment was when McGill seemed to get a bit ahead of himself at the end of the exhibition, but everything else was fabulous. Toward the end of the finale, Glover and McGill exchanged glances that suggested they knew they had delivered excellence.
Following intermission, baroque sounds and the harpsichord returned to the stage for Handel’s Concerto Grosso in a-minor. It’s a more restrained work than the others on the program. Highlights were provided by the soloists Gina DeBello and Sharon Polifrone on violin and Ana Kim on cello. They were not set apart from the rest of the players, and from my seat I could barely see Polifrone, but I heard her just fine.
Classical sounds ended the concert with Mozart’s Prague Symphony. The harpsichord was removed again to make way for several more players. One of Mozart’s lasting achievements was bringing many more winds and brass into the orchestra, and Glover made sure every section could be heard. It was a marvel to be able to hear the comparatively small string sections against the other instruments.
There were many instances of greatness in this performance. I was especially drawn to the shifting interactions in the development of the opening movement and was hoping to hear it a second time. But Glover adhered to the common practice of repeating the exhibition but not repeating the second half.
Unfortunately, as with the Bach, there were several instances where instruments were not starting simultaneously. Also, while I didn’t hear any actual mistakes, the intonation was a little off. The phrase endings did not completely resonate, and things did not gel very well. On the whole, however, it was still an enjoyable way to end the evening.
Tonight at Ravinia, the Aznavoorian Duo present the program Legacies from Armenia to America, which includes several pieces from their excellent CD on Cedille Records. Ravinia's Bennet Gordon Hall, Thursday, September 12, 7:30. For more information click here.
Music of the Baroque’s 2024-25 season officially kicks off this Sunday and next Tuesday when Dame Glover and the Music of the Baroque Orchestra and Chorus perform Franz Joseph Haydn’s amazing oratorio The Creation. They will be joined by Soprano Joélle Harvey, tenor Aaron Sheehan, and baritone Brandon Cedel. North Shore Center, Skokie, Sunday, September 15, 3:00 pm. Harris Theater at Millenium Park, Chicago, Tuesday, September 17, 7:30 pm. For ticket information, click here.
And then, on Wednesday, Music of the Baroque boards a barge on the Chicago River downtown to perform excerpts from Handel’s Water Music, which was written in London for a boating party on the Thames River in 1717. The program also includes the “Hallelujah” Chorus from The Messiah and other works by Handel and Vivaldi. Dame Jane Glover will lead the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra, and the “Strong Voices” Chorus, made up of young musicians from the ensemble’s choral education program in 7 Chicago public high schools. Riverwalk east to the Merchandise Mart, Wednesday, September 18, 7:00-8:30 pm. For more information click here.