Julian Wachner

GOING FOR BAROQUE
Musicians strive for authentic sound using priceless instruments.

By Theresa Agovino

WEN YANG became a fan of Baroque music while earning her master's degree at the Yale School of Music. She was especially drawn to the idea of performing with period instruments—either antiques or high-end reproductions—that can cost a small fortune but allow an ensemble to sound as it would have centuries ago.

"I liked the sound; it was richer; it had more color," explained the 31-year-old from China who plays the double bass and the viola da gamba, a cousin of the cello that was commonly used during the Baroque era.

Last year, she started New York Baroque Inc., an orchestra with about 20 musicians who play the works of such composers as Handel, Bach and Vivaldi.

She's not the only one following her passion for music from the 1600s and 1700s. At least four such groups have sprung up in the city in the past three years, with the largest and best-known being the Trinity Baroque Orchestra. They join such longstanding ensembles as the American Classical Orchestra and Early Music New York.

American Classical Orchestra musicians primarily use period instruments. When the group appears at Alice Tully Hall on June 4, for example, the 49 instruments will be worth about $2.5 million, and will include a violin from 1690 worth $175,000 and a bass valued at about $250,000.

By contrast, a high-end modern violin or reproduction can cost $18,000 to $28,000, while a cello could cost $30,000 to $45,000.

At least oboe players get a break. A reproduction of a Baroque oboe costs about $2,000, while a new one can run about $10,000 because it is a more complicated instrument with more keys.
Primed for growth

"The age of the instruments isn't important. It is the sound," said Benjamin Sosland, administrative director of the Historical Performance graduate program at the Juilliard School. Experts contend that even untrained ears can distinguish period instruments and reproductions from their modern counterparts.

Juilliard started the program in 2009, which helped jump-start the early-music movement in New York City. The program at the prestigious institution imbued the genre with more gravitas and brought even more specialized musicians here. Experts said the city was primed for growth in this genre because it was already popular in Boston and San Francisco, among other cities, as well as in Europe.

"New York was really ripe for this kind of music, and then Juilliard jumped into it in a major way," said Julian Wachner, the musical director of the Trinity Baroque Orchestra, which is part of Trinity Wall Street church. Trinity's orchestra had always had a Baroque-heavy repertoire, but when Mr. Wachner arrived in 2009, he decided to focus on early music to set his group apart because the city is already laden with opportunities to hear modern classical music. It began its Baroque-only focus about two years ago.

Mr. Wachner is fortunate that his orchestra is attached to a wealthy church. Newer groups, such as New York Baroque Inc. and Dorian Baroque, are still trying to establish themselves. That's never easy, but it can be especially challenging when the economy remains shaky and more established nonprofit music groups are snapping up donations. Founders like Ms. Yang are trying to squeeze developing their orchestras between classes and gigs.

"It's a lot of work," she said. "We are really grassroots and doing everything ourselves."

Marina Fragoulis, who founded Dorian Baroque last year, said she and her husband have spent about $10,000 of their own money on necessities for the group, such as lawyers and sound engineers. They are still waiting to get certified as a formal nonprofit by the state, and then they can decide the budget and fundraising needs.

"We need to figure out how big of a season we want to have," said Ms. Fragoulis.

The orchestras' programs differ vastly in size and scope. Trinity has weekly concerts, while the American Classical Orchestra will have four this season, which ends in June. The group's budget is only $1.1 million.

Vincent Gardino, executive director of the American Classical Orchestra, said the sharp focus on early music can be a benefit when seeking donations because it is less common.

MUSIC APPRECIATION

$175K
VALUE of a 1690 violin to be played at the American Classical Orchestra’s June 4 concert

$2.5M
VALUE of all the instruments at the concert

"The audience for this type of music isn't large, but it is extremely dedicated," said Mr. Gardino. He said the orchestra's concertgoers are typically people who already enjoy classical music and are now finding an appreciation for this niche.

The American Classical Orchestra plays Baroque, romantic and classical music, and Mr. Gardino estimates that about 80% of the orchestra's musicians play original instruments that they either own or rent. Musician John Feeney owns a double bass from 1750 that's worth about $250,000.

Caring for the genuine antique brings its own challenges. Mr. Feeney keeps the instrument in a humidity-controlled room and won't take it anywhere he can't drive, which can be an issue because many musicians have to fly to their gigs.

Some musicians transport their prized possessions by buying them a seat on a plane. Mr. Feeney won't take that chance because he is afraid he will be forced to check his. When that happened years ago, he was allowed to personally place the instrument in the plane's hold, something he said would never be permitted in the post-9/11 era.

"We've all seen the way baggage is handled," he said. "I won't do it."

Ms. Yang isn't focused on buying an antique. Right now, she is working on her bass to make it sound closer to a Baroque-era instrument. She said it's been a problem to find craftsmen to complete the work, so the next time she buys an instrument, she'll likely purchase a reproduction. "I think it is just easier," she said.

If you think it's really difficult to become a successful musician, imagine trying to earn a living making specialty instruments. Gabriela Guadalajara started her Harlem-based business crafting Baroque string instruments five years ago, and said it's still a struggle.

It took a year to sell her first one, and last year she sold just three: a small violin for $5,000 and two violas da gamba for $11,000 each. Of course, it's not a high-volume business—constructing one instrument can take three months. And there's plenty of competition from other artisans, as well as inexpensive reproductions from China. Roughly half her income still comes from repairing instruments.

"This is not something you do for the money," said the Mexico City native. "You do it because it makes people happy to play your instruments."

Ms. Guadalajara discovered the joy that music can bring from her father, who loved listening to everything from classical to Mexican folk. She started playing the cello as a child but eventually realized she didn't want to perform professionally, even though she wanted a career in music. When her mother learned about a violin-making school, Ms. Guadalajara knew she had found her dream job.

She started the five-year course when she was 24 and eventually moved to New York to work for William Monical & Sons Inc., a Staten Island-based business that repairs and restores violins.

Ms. Guadalajara said the combination of working there and playing an instrument has aided in developing her business. She developed contacts at Monical that have led to clients. The 36-year-old added, "It helps to play an instrument. I can try the instrument, really hear how it sounds."

Stravinsky’s Sacred Music, the Trinity Way

by Sedgwick Clark

The Rite of Spring, the centennial of which we celebrate on May 29, has been played everywhere this season and undoubtedly will the next. But while The Rite is forever ubiquitous, much of Stravinsky’s huge output languishes—such as his rarely played sacred works, which New York’s Trinity Church presented in toto in three concerts last weekend (4/26-28). It was a genuine event, well attended, and performed sympathetically by the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Trinity Youth Chorus, and instrumentalists from NOVUS NY under the interpretive warmth of Trinity’s music director, Julian Wachner. Appropriate for a festival of such importance, the beautifully printed and illustrated program booklet, with thought-provoking notes by Matthew Guerrieri, was a keeper. 

The rarity of Stravinsky sacred-music performances is no surprise. Most of it was written during his last period, when he was adapting Schoenberg’s “method of composing with 12 tones” to his own aesthetic. While the expatriate Russian’s unique voice could not entirely be quelled, the concert-going public has voted on Schoenberg’s technique (and Stravinsky’s use of it) with its feet. After more than a century since its genesis, few 12-tone or serial works are played with any frequency, and even those are capable of emptying a room of non-believers before you can say “boo.”

The real surprise is that Stravinsky, a devoutly religious man, wrote so few works on sacred subjects. On the other hand, Ralph Vaughan Williams, an avowed atheist, composed some of the most affecting music on religious themes in the 20th century. Of all the music performed at Trinity, only the Symphony of Psalms (1930) is an indisputable masterpiece, well known and often programmed. Several critics convened at the end of the first concert, wondering which works we could “cross off the list,” as the New Yorker’s Alex Ross amusingly put it, of music we had never encountered in concert. We both had looked forward especially to Threni (1957-58) and had come armed with our scores. Wachner’s heartfelt reading was a satisfying account, even if it lacked the clarity of the composer’s recording. The same could be said of Introitus: T.S. Eliot in Memoriam (1965) and Abraham and Isaac (1962-63), the latter a minor revelation due to Sanford Sylvan’s expert vocalism. The performance of The Flood (1961-62) was game, but I find the music arid.

I could never get into the 1948 Mass before this lovely Trinity performance, but whatever delights some find in Canticum Sacrum (which Time magazine headlined “Murder in the Cathedral” for its report on the 1956 Venice premiere) escape me still, as do most of the shorter pieces. But Requiem Canticles (1966)—which Stravinsky called his “pocket requiem” and which was performed at his funeral—is his last masterpiece, albeit a small one, and it was given an eloquent account.

The Symphony of Psalms, the final work in the concerts, was performed in a two-piano arrangement by Karen Keating—a decision that on paper seemed disappointing but that largely avoided the one serious drawback of these concerts: the muddying factor of Trinity Church’s cavernous acoustics, which compromised nearly every performance to some degree. Stravinsky’s rhythms and scoring thrive in utmost clarity, and these performances would have been even more successful in the drier Zankel or Tully halls uptown.

Nevertheless, in the Symphony the superb Trinity chorus could be heard at its full stature without the acoustical confusion of orchestral textures, and the excellent pianists, Pedja Muzijevic and Steven Beck, were perfectly balanced. I’d love to hear Bruckner Motets at Trinity someday.

POCKET 'THRENI'

I went last night to the opening of Trinity Wall Street's festival of the sacred Stravinsky — an imposing program that included Threni, Abraham and Isaac (with the great Sanford Sylvan), and The Flood. In the crowd were more than a few veteran concertgoers and musicians who were hearing Threni for the first time live; the work has been absent from New York for many years. It's immensely difficult music, and Julian Wachner's performance wasn't always immaculate, but the eerie intensity of Stravinsky's engagement with Lamentations came through. The power and warmth of Trinity Choir banished any sense that this is cold and inexpressive music. The festival continues tonight and tomorrow afternoon, with renditions of Canticum Sacrum, Requiem Canticles, Cantata, Mass, and Symphony of Psalms. The orchestra, NOVUS NY, is well stocked with excellent young free-lancers; Owen Dalby is the concertmaster, and Alex Sopp, James Austin Smith, and Alicia Lee lead the winds. The lavish program booklet contains three characteristically learned and lively essays by Matthew Guerrieri, featuring epigraphs from, respectively, Ralph Ellison, David Bowie, and Pope Pius X.

My Threni score once belonged to the conductor Charles Groves. I picked it up at Travis & Emery, the wonderful music-book store on Cecil Court in London. I go there every time I'm in the city, invariably leaving with a stack of finds that causes headaches when it comes time to pack my suitcase. Much of Travis & Emery's stock comes from musicians' estates purchased at one time or another over the years; I have scores that were formerly the property of the composers Anthony Milner and Howard Ferguson, and my bound copy of the Beethoven piano concertos belonged to the legendary horn player Alan Civil. I'm listening now to Milner's First Symphony, a toughly argued one-movement score that's worthy of occasional revival.

由巴哈到披頭四

(綜合報道)(星島日報報道)放低嚴肅，享受美樂，就是這晚（4月5日）香港管弦樂團的呈獻。

音樂會名為《From Bach to Beatles》（《由巴哈到披頭四》），取名想是為求賣座，結果真的有八成入座率，成績不俗，但與音樂會內容有點名不副實。

包羅萬有音樂會

巴哈的D小調觸技曲及賦格曲揭開序幕，經典的旋律，多次成為驚慄電影的配樂。在美國指揮家華卓拿（Julian Wachner）敏捷的手法帶領下，港樂弦樂師奏出尖銳帶緊張的氣氛，木管樂師吹出了神秘的氤氳，令人好像迷失在深山幽林中，驚懼萬分。

這是一場經過精心策劃的音樂會，不是序曲加主曲目再加終曲如此簡單，而是包羅萬有，除了港樂的交響樂，還有來自內地的鋼琴手朴星吉獨奏了蕭斯達維契的A小調第二前奏曲及賦格曲，樂思源自巴哈，琴音很美，可惜大鋼琴置在舞台最左邊緣，文化中心演奏廳出了名音響差，這種擺位令琴音走了樣。

隨後，有現代作曲家帕特和格蘭格取材自巴哈對位法樂思的二次創作音樂，動聽之中，隱然窺見巴哈的影子，證明巴哈的巴洛克音樂，穿梭時間與空間，有強大的生命力。

結尾選曲有點敗筆

王健獨奏巴哈的第五大提琴組曲中的薩拉班德舞曲，音樂中的愁苦都在王健臉上的表情流露而出，當大家仍未從大提琴的沉吟中走出來，指揮家華卓拿親自彈奏管風琴，巴哈的G大調幻想曲的跳躍與宏大音流，把音樂會推上高潮。

但去到年輕結他手溫逸朗彈巴哈的E小調布雷舞曲，或許怯場，彈得不夠流暢自然，當他為女歌手Jennifer Palor配奏John Lennon的《Blackbird》時，音樂會的編排就讓人覺得有點「無厘頭」，即使麥卡尼曾透露這歌的結他部分，靈感源自巴哈，但筆者一點也辨認不出，流行曲與古典樂的反差太大了。

最不協調的，是終曲奏了柴可夫斯基的洛可可變奏曲，把整個音樂會的感覺，由歌德式的莊嚴丶崇高丶幾何建築，忽然變為奢華丶浮誇丶着重裝飾花紋的宮廷建築，是為結尾的敗筆，雖然王健的獨奏部分如歌地感情充沛，而港樂的伴奏亦把人帶到法國宮廷的盛大舞會中。

不過，筆者太多的分析，又違反了文章開初所說，享受美樂，感動其中，已然足夠！

圖：星島圖片庫

不是一般的港女，她愛消費、看娛樂新聞、喜八卦之餘，也放眼世界，追逐新文化思潮，更醉心藝術音樂文學以至一切有品味的人與事。在《頭條日報》寫了五年專欄，其後開始在《星島》開筆，請讀者多多指教。editorial@hkheadline.com

Kelly Chu

逢星期五刊出

(此中有真意)

今日館

Bachs Matthäuspassion in New York
Intensive Passion

In New York wird in diesen Wochen oft Musik von Johann Sebastian Bach gespielt. Nicht nur die "Bach Variations" des New York Philharmonic Orchestra (klassik.com berichtete), die eine eher gemischte Publikums- und Pressereaktion erfahren haben, auch in den verschiedenen Kirchen Manhattans kann man in der Fastenzeit die Musik von Bach relativ häufig hören. Ein Höhepunkt: die Aufführung der Matthäuspassion in der Trinity Church, direkt an der Ecke zwischen Wall Street und Broadway, aufgeführt von dem ausgezeichneten Trinity Wall Street Chor und dem Trinity Baroque Orchestra unter seinem Leiter Julian Wachner.

Die 24 Sängerinnen und Sänger des Trinity Wall Street Chores sind allesamt ausgebildete Musiker und größtenteils auch in anderen professionellen Chören engagiert. Sie sangen nicht nur die verschiedenen kleinen Rollen der Passion, wie den Pilatus oder Judas, sondern auch die teilweise ja doch überaus anspruchsvollen Arien. Manche, aber nicht alle Solisten, halten dabei durchaus mit den sicherlich deutlich besser dotierten international tätigen Sängern mit, besonders die Sopranistin Molly Quinn, deren Arie 'Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben' einer der Höhepunkte des Abends wurde, die Sopranistin Sarah Brailey ('Blute nur') und die Altistin Luthien Brackett ('Erbarme Dich'). Trotz der vielen Solisten bildet der Chor einen homogenen, runden, kräftigen Klang. Nur den Evangelisten und den Sänger, der die Partie des Jesus sang, hat man nicht durch Mitglieder des Chores besetzt.

Der Evangelist wurde von William Hite gesungen, der über eine klare, freie, helle Tenorstimme verfügt und den Evangelisten angenehmerweise eher als Erzähler denn als betroffener Gestalter singt. Anders Stephen Salters als Jesus. Er verfügt über eine kräftige, wenn nicht sogar laute Stimme, die man sich manchmal etwas vorsichtiger hätte eingesetzt gewünscht. Seine Identifikation mit der Rolle, die sich auch in seiner stets betroffenen Mimik zeigte, schien die Amerikaner weniger zu stören, die ihn am Ende mit großem Applaus bedachen - mir war das doch deutlich zu dick aufgetragen.

Das 2009 gegründete Trinity Baroque Orchestra, das viele renommierte Instrumentalisten vereint, die alle auf "historische" Instrumente spezialisiert sind, ist bestens auf seinen Leiter Julian Wachner eingespielt. Wachner gestaltete die Passion mit ausgesprochen schnellen Tempi, ohne dass aber der Eindruck entstand, es werde durch die Partitur gehetzt. Solche Tempi sind nur möglich, weil die Kirche eine sehr trockene Akkustik hat. Wachner schätzt ganz offensichtlich keine Ritardandi, die einzelnen Nummern folgten einander teilweise ohne jede Pause; dadurch entstanden geschlossene Spannungsbögen, die der Aufführung sehr gut taten. Die Rezitative waren klug und dramatisch gestaltet, ohne dass es aber übertrieben gewesen wäre. "This was pretty intense" (Das war ganz schön intensiv), sagte beim Herausgehen ein junger Mann zu seiner Freundin. Treffender kann man es kaum ausdrücken. Mein Tipp: Wer an einem Montag in New York ist, der sollte schauen, ob er um 13 Uhr in die St. Paul's Chapel gehen kann. Der Trinity Chor und das Orchester spielen dort jeweils zwei Kantaten von Bach. Es lohnt sich wirklich!

Kritik von Prof. Dr. Michael Bordt