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Five Cities Ensemble presented a program of vocal and
instrumental chamber works of the Baroque era which dates from
approximately 1600 to the 1750s.
The ensemble was introduced by Artistic Director Nate
Widelitz, who is also a tenor vocalist and conductor.
Along with Widelitz, the ensemble was comprised of
Amanda Pond on flute, Evan Tammen on Oboe, Chet Lord-Remmert on
cello, Ivan Jiang on keyboard, and Aubrey Hawkinson, mezzo-soprano.
The ensemble’s first selection was Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Trio
Sonata in G Major” (BWV 1039) performed by Pond, Lord-Remmert,
Jiang, and Tammen.
Widelitz joined the trio of Lord-Remmert, Jiang, and
Tammen for their second Bach piece, “Ach senke doch den Geist de
Freuden” from “Herr, wie du willt, so schick’s mit mir” (BMV 73).
Following Bach, the ensemble performed George
Freidrich Handel’s “Forte e lieto a morte Andrei” from his opera
Tamerlano (HMV 18), based on the historical figure Tamerlane, the
brutal Turco-Mongal conqueror who clashed with the Ottoman Sultanate
in the early 15th century.
For their next work, Pond rejoined the ensemble on
flute for “Trio Sonata No. 2 in B-flat” by Elisabeth Jacquet de la
Guerre, a French composer, harpsichordist, and musician who was
well-known during her time. At an early age she enjoyed the
patronage of King Louis XIV who heard her perform at Versailles at
the age of five. She composed in a wide variety of forms and was the
first French woman to write an opera.
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Hawkinson joined the ensemble for the next pieces by
Barbara Strozzi, an Italian singer and composer of cantatas. Strozzi
is notable for composing without assistance from the church or
patrons as was common for male composers of the period. Her subject
matter was generally love stories as exemplified by the three
selections Hawkinson sang with the ensemble: “Il Romeo,” “Lilla
crudele ad onta d’amore,” and “L’Amante Consolato.”
The ensemble concluded its performance with “Trio
Sonata in E Minor” (TWV 42:e6) by Georg Phillipp Telemann. Telemann
was one of the most prolific composers in history and was godfather
and namesake to J.S. Bach’s second son.
VIDEO – Five Cities Baroque
Foundation Ensemble
This performance marked Five Cities Baroque Foundation Ensemble’s
Mt. Pulaski debut, however, the ensemble performs around central
Illinois, particularly in Springfield and Champaign. Their concerts
are always free and open to the public. A reception followed the
performance on the ground floor of the courthouse to allow the
appreciative audience to meet the musicians and congratulate them on
an exceptionally beautiful performance.
[Stephanie Hall]
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