Music Reviews

Dec 18, 2008 - The Reno Baroque Ensemble's ambitious, if somewhat detached, concert at Reno's Trinity Episcopal Church

By Jack Neal

Even though the gospels of Baroque music are according to Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Teleman, not Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the church still works as a venue for such groups as the Reno Baroque Ensemble.

It was in a decidedly ecclesiastical esprit de corps that the 20 singers and 17 instrumentalists of the Reno Baroque Ensemble performed Sunday evening (12/14/08) at Reno’s Trinity Episcopal Church. The program, “Music for a Baroque Holiday Season,” tilted in the direction of purist musical tastes. As such, it was not perfect (purist perfection takes time), but it was often sublime, and nearly as often thrilling.

Reno Baroque is the dream of Eric Gault, the group’s conductor and music director. He’s a gifted conductor and a young man who knows music and has a sophisticated sense of what great music is about. Sophistication is a two-edged sword. It is at once what creates the expressive, eloquent sound so often identified with the Baroque. It is also at once what makes the goal of popularizing Baroque music for a larger public somewhat remote.

The missing ingredient from Sunday’s impressive program was the ability, either via program notes or commentary from the podium (preferably from the podium), to enlighten listeners about the pleasures of Baroque music. Perhaps Anna Russell, the music world’s hilarious concert comedienne of the 1950s and ‘60s, summed it up best when she said: “For the most part lectures about music are given by experts for the edification of other experts.” But a minor drawback in so much that was good, the concert did fall slightly more into the edification class than the accessible class.

Making Baroque music more accessible is an ambitious undertaking that requires, in addition to a keen musicianship, a dedication to a cause nurtured by lots of hard work. Gault has drawn from an enviable collection of musicians.

Violinist Dan Flanagan, concertmaster of both the Sacramento Philharmonic and the Sacramento Opera Orchestra, is a stellar musician. Ted Nugent, principal oboist of the Sacramento Philharmonic, is a brilliant performer. Bass/baritone Gary Aldrich has a superlative reputation as an opera and oratorio soloist. Soprano Jennifer Tibben-Lembke is a formidable soloist and top-flight choral director. Patricia Gardner is Reno Baroque’s pianist and continuo player and she, too, is excellent.

The Reno Baroque Chorus is precise in diction, passionate about the music and exciting to hear. Solo turns from within the chorus by soprano Susan Horst, alto Sarah Stevenson and tenors Steven Hallan and Sergio Massardo were nicely brought off. Opening with Mozart’s Divertimento in D Major, the Reno Baroque Orchestra played well, if just slightly on the shy side of exciting.

The program’s highlight of many highlights was J.S. Bach’s Cantata, Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme (“Sleeper’s Wake”). Composed for the 27th Sunday after Trinity, this gorgeous work was further glorified by the exceptional singing of Tibben-Lembke, Aldrich and Hallan, plus the pure, clean, yet vibrant work of the chorus and orchestra.

J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Oboe and Violin featuring Flanagan, Nugent and the orchestra was brilliantly managed. Deeply influenced by his Jewish background, Joseph Achron’s “Hebrew Melody” is hardly the product of the Baroque (Achron died in Hollywood in 1943). For violin (Flanagan) and piano (Gardner), this haunting, plaintive, brooding piece, was – nonetheless - movingly, poignantly, splendidly played.

Dreams do come true. The concert was an auspicious beginning (just two-months old) for Eric Gault’s Reno Baroque Ensemble.

The Reno Baroque Ensemble’s “Music for a Baroque Holiday Season” was performed at The Resort at Squaw Creek, Squaw Valley, California, December 7 (2008) at 8 p.m. and Trinity Episcopal Church, Rainbow and Island Avenue, Reno, Nevada, December 14 (the performance reviewed) at 8 p.m. For information about The Reno Baroque Ensemble call 775-832-1616.