This rainy afternoon I was wafted back a few centuries to the 15 and 16 hundreds at a charming concert presented in Lakeville, CT by members of the Crescendo Chorus. The chorus, conducted by Christine Gevert, sang works by Girolamo Frescobaldi, Orlando di Lasso, Giovanni Paolo Cima, Andrea Falconieri, and Claudio Monteverdi. They were assisted by two excellent recorderists,Tricia van Oers and Felicitas Eckert. They also had the participation of a male soprano, Benjamin Rauch. As a voice teacher, I have never had much luck with counter-tenors. I have never taught a male soprano, although one of my students, a coloratura, had a boy-friend I met once, who was a male soprano. They took turns singing the Queen of the Night arias. Now, I ask you.... 'Love is a many splendered thing'. Mr. Rauch, however, has a beautiful voice and sang very well.
Ms. Gevert played upon a small house organ which was based on a 17th century instrument.
The group sang with a sweet, well-tuned sound. The various choral pieces were interspersed with selections played by the organ, and/or the two recorders.
I didn't realize that there are that many enthusiasts for 16th century music in Connecticut, but Trinity church was packed.
Having spent most of my years as a church organist in a Methodist church, I did not do a lot of the music of this period. As Searle Wright's assistant at St. Paul's Chapel, Columbia University for six or seven years in the 1950's, we did music of all periods, but with the Methodists I did music from Bach on, for the most part.
As a concert organist, I often played music by Frescobaldi (whom an organist friend of mine called 'Fresco Badly') and Sweelinck, but my knowledge of the choral music of the period is limited.
Ms. Gevert got some very musical singing out of her group.
To my ears, with too much Puccini in them lately, an hour of choral music of this period begins to sound all of a piece. It was frankly a delight to me, when the chorus ended with a composition by Monteverdi.
Since both Frescobaldi and Monteverdi are fellow Italians (see Alberti) it's no wonder that I liked the concert.
