By Christine Facciolo
BrandywineBaroque warmed a late winter night and concluded its 2016-17 season with an
all-Vivaldi program.
There
was no grand thought or theme unifying the concert at The Barn at Flintwoods on
March 10, unless it was the sheer delight in virtuosity and the
delightfully relaxed approach to the music by all concerned.
The
centerpiece of the evening’s program was a performance of La ninfa e il pastore (The Nymphs and the Shepherd). This rare
and beautiful gem was composed in 1715 when the thirty-something Vivaldi became
music director of the Ospedale della
Pieta in Venice, a charitable institution dedicated to the care of orphaned
and abandoned girls.
The
work is not an opera but a related dramatic genre — the serenata. Serenatas first
appeared in the mid-17th Century and were often composed to mark a
festive or celebratory occasion. They usually consisted of two acts presented “in concert” by two or more soloists who did not wear costumes or
act. In fact, there was no action to speak of. Rather, serenatas employed
laudatory texts that featured discursive debates between allegorical figures.
In this instance, the text refers to the trial and imprisonment of Jansenist
propagandist Abbe Jean de Tourreil for his refusal to accept papal authority
regarding the doctrine of predestination.
The
Serenata a Tre: The Nymphs and the Shepherd paints a pastoral scene in which
lust triumphs over reason. The lovelorn nymph Eurilla (soprano Laura Heimes)
discovers that Alcindo (tenor Tony Boutte) with whom she is smitten is perfect
in every respect save one: He is incapable of love. Encouraged by her friend
Nice (soprano Julianne Baird) she sets out to correct this flaw. Passion gets
rebuffed by false humility, love feigned becomes love in earnest and the
chickens come home to roost.
Singers
and players gave concertgoers ample opportunity to enjoy Vivaldi’s melodic
gifts. The instrumentalists — Eileen Grycky (flute), Martin Davids and Edwin
Huizinga (violins), Amy Leonard (viola), John Mark Rozendaal (cello) and Karen
Flint (harpsichord) — played with enthusiasm and tonal finesse.
Laura
Heimes was a pure-toned Eurilla, singing with lightness and agility while
exercising consistent control and vocal precision throughout her impressive
range.
Nice
was a figure of wisdom as portrayed by Julianne Baird. Her soprano is lush and
full-bodied, but she judiciously restrained her instrument to convey a steadfast
sagacity.
Tony
Boutte was delightful in the role of the hapless protagonist Alcindo who gets his
comeuppance at the hands of the cunning nymphs. His tenor was secure and
convincing as he negotiated the lion’s share of the virtuosity.
Both
acts of the serenata were preceded by performances of flute concertos in G
Major (RV 435) and D Major (RV 427). Soloist Eileen Grycky managed everything
with her customary technical fluency and charm. These are hardly routine pieces
and Grycky points up every turn with playing that uncovers the originality of
Vivaldi’s idiom. The accompanying ensemble complemented with playing that was
both spirited and superb.