Tage Alter Musik – Almanach 2018

mann concerts. Bach’s music can survive many different performing styles but, in this performance, it was often a struggle . There were frequent problems with intonation, lack of clarity of the inner parts, lack of clear articulation, inappropriate slithering be- tween notes from the cello soloist, and rather self-indulgent playing from the lead violinist (and director), including a painfully slow Andante in the BWV 1041 Violin Concerto. They concluded with a curious arrangement of the organ Trio Sonata BWV 530, in the form of a concerto for two violins, rather than the obviously intended trio structure. What is usually a bright, sparkling, and rather sparse three-voice texture was re- duced to a muddy sound, with unnecessary inner parts added by the harpsichord con- tinuo and the rest of the orchestra. And even in this version for 2 violins, the first violin dominated throughout. The Tage Alter Musik weekend ended with the 17th concert, devoted to Jan Dismas zelenka’s Psalmi vespertini , with selec- tions from his three important Vesper cy- cles , given by Zelenka specialists inégal – Prague Baroque soloists under their direc- tor adam viktora (in the Dreieinigkeits- kirche). Composed between c1725/30, the Psalm and Magnificat settings include an impressive range of musical styles, many pointing compositionally towards the fu- ture. Zelenka is a master of orchestral and vocal colour, as was demonstrated in this concert, from the grandeur of the opening Dixit Dominus (ZWV 68), with its atten- tion-grabbing pauses in the opening sec- tion, to the solemnity of the concluding De profundis (ZWV 96). The focus was on the more dramatic settings, with some spirited singing and playing from the 17 singers and 21 instrumentalists. Of the soloists, I partic- ularly liked the sopranos Gabriela Eibenová and Lenka Cafourková. Key instrumental- ists were Lenka Torgersen, violin and leader, Libor Mašek, cello, Marek Niewiedzial & Petra Ambrosi, oboes, and Lukáš Vendl, or- gan. Adam Viktora conducted Zelenka’s ap- proachable music with impressive style and gusto. When the music risks becoming pre- dictable, Zelenka seems to come up with something that draws the intention, one ex- ample being the little rhythmic hiccup in the Amen of Nisi Dominus (ZWV 92). A se- quence of eight such pieces was perhaps not the most audience-friendly approach to programming, and it could have done with an interval rather than just a tuning break after about an hour. I also wondered if the Magnificat (ZWV 108) would have made a better conclusion than the De profundis (ZWV 96), not least because of its more rousing Amen. And so concluded an impressive series of concerts. Very hard work for a reviewer, with 17 concerts to cover, one starting after mid- night, but also very rewarding for the impres- sively large audiences. Most concerts seemed to be entirely sold out, even in the largest venues and the latest times. As well as the concerts, there was the traditional exhibition of music, CDs, and instruments in the his- toric Salzstadel adjoining the Steinerne Brücke over the Danube. As well as the mu- sical highlights, I will also remember the lady who kept giving me chocolates, and the an- nual appearance of the embarrassingly en- thusiastic collector of autographs who hunts down performers immediately after the per- formance (or even during the interval), fol- lowing them towards their dressing rooms and asking for repeat copies of their auto- graph – at least two, and up to around five signatures are requested. He even asked for my autograph, twice, even though I ex- plained that I was nothing to do with the per- formance. I admire the patience of the musi- cians who suffer this awkward interjection. Next year’s Tage Alter Music is from 7 – 10 June 2019. andrewbensonwilson.org 14 Ensemble Inégal unter der Leitung von Adam Viktora