Filling the room
We went to Symphony Hall last night to see a performance of Handel’s La Resurrezione. We took a bit of a chance as neither of us had heard it before, but we really enjoyed the performance. They used an authentic Baroque orchestra with wonderful instruments like a Viola da Gamba, a couple of lutes and a pair of recorders. If you’ve only ever heard the dreadful honking, squeaking sound that happens when you mix small children and recorders, then it’s a bit of a revelation when you hear them played properly. In keeping with the period feel, they didn’t use any amplification (as far as I could tell) for either the orchestra or the singers.
The human voice never ceases to amaze me. Emma Bellâwho sang the part of Mary Magdaleneâmanaged to make the steel balustrades on the balcony ring at times with the power of her voice. The acoustics are pretty good in Symphony Hall, but even so, it’s amazing that one fairly small person can fill a huge auditorium like that, using only about 5 litres of air, some vibrating tissue, and muscular contraction. I realise that the last sentence makes me sound like a total philistine, so I’ll attempt to recover by saying that she wasn’t all about amplitude1, and her interpretation and phrasing was wonderful too.
1 Oops, I’m just digging myself a hole here.
1
My stepdad plays viola da gamba. I'd say this is probably the first time I've ever seen it mentioned online outside of specialist forums
-----
I was going to post a comment about the joy I felt the first time at the NY Philharmonic, or the Met for Don Giovanni, or my first live bluegrass concert. But I can't.
You write so beautifully, I'm intimidated.
I truly enjoy your posts, and I look forward to them with great anticiaption.
by Tony Iovino @ 27/11/2004 5:12 pm • Permalink •
2
David Smith: Fantastic! I love the viola da gamba. Several years ago, I watched the film Tous Les Matins du Monde and fell in love with the instrument. I think it has a wonderful, sweet melancholy voice.
Tony Iovino: Thanks! But no need to feel intimidatedâcomment away!
by bsag @ 28/11/2004 6:12 pm • Permalink •
Page 1 of 1 pages