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The Jewell Early Music Summer Festival concluded its season on Friday, August 5 in a concert focusing largely on the music of Handel. It was dubbed “Handel, The Ultimate Cosmopolitan,” a reference to his extensive travels throughout Europe and the influences these excursions had on his music. Also featuring works by Corelli and the previously-unknown-to-me Wassenaer, it was a truly spectacular performance by everyone involved.

I should go no further without mentioning first and foremost the stellar performance of the continuo players throughout the evening. Charles Metz on harpsichord, Phillip Spray on violone, and Jeffrey Noonan on theorbo were rock solid all night. This was my first encounter with a theorbo, and Noonan handled its numerous challenges with aplomb. A strong continuo is a must for this music, and they delivered the goods.

Arcangelo Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in D major, op. 6, no. 4 began the concert in style. While there were some balance issues between the two violin lines (presumably because of placement), it was on the whole a worthy performance. The Adagio second movement was lovely, and the Gigue rolled along with tremendous buoyancy, a hoedown threatening to break out at any moment. The concluding Presto had great energy and closed the piece in a whirlwind.

Countertenor Jay Carter appeared as soloist in “Come la rondenilla,” an aria from the dramatic cantata Clori, Tirsi e Fileno. No piece on the program had the degree of difficulty that this one did. With the incredibly sparse texture (violin, violone, archlute, soloist), there was nowhere to hide. There was no need to. Carter displayed amazing fluidity in the passagework that makes Baroque singing sound so hard to my instrumentalist ears, and his intonation was virtually flawless. Noonan’s obbligato on the archlute had occasional issues with clarity and rhythm, but that’s a bit like criticizing a pilot for a rough landing in a tropical thunderstorm after having a wing break off.

Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer was a Dutch nobleman who downplayed or outright hid much of his music because music-making was not to be taken with any degree of seriousness by the political elite, professional musicians being low-class. It’s a shame that he did, because if the Concerto Armonico IV in G major is any indication, he was a composer of great facility. It was a truly moving work, particularly the gorgeous Largo affetuoso third movement. There were intonation problems between the four violins throughout, but they were not enough to fully distract from an otherwise eye-opening and rewarding performance. Hopefully Wassenaer will continue to gain recognition in the coming years.

The first half concluded with Handel’s recently rediscovered Gloria. The accompaniment throughout was superb, the aforementioned continuo still holding it down and violinists William Bauer and Eric Williams playing with verve. But this was a showpiece for soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson, and what a show it was. The opening movement was a bit rough with some choppy passagework and trills and suspect intonation at times, but it was not a portend of things to come. Tannehill Anderson overcame these issues quickly and her pure, controlled tone shone through in the slower movements. The balance was remarkable, with the soloist drifting in and out of the ensemble texture smoothly. With each successive movement the performance crept higher and higher into rarified air, the execution improving with each note. It exploded in the final movement. Her passagework issues from the opening movement were gone, replaced by a focused, driven line, and her tone rang sumptuously in the hall on the lyrical melody with elegance and soul. I think she knew it, too, because for a few seconds she moved like Axl Rose in the “Sweet Child of Mine” video. It was three minutes of manic Handelian fury, so much so that I immediately updated my Facebook status with an expletive and a comparison to Jimi’s National Anthem performance at Woodstock 1969. I will not forget this performance anytime soon.

The second half was devoted to Handel’s Ode to the Birthday of Queen Anne, the stage filled to the brim with vocal soloists, chorus, trumpets, oboes, and the string ensemble. It was an inspiring performance and a tribute to the work put in during the week-long festival. The piece began with a rapturous duet between the alto (performed by Carter) and the trumpet, performed well in difficult circumstances by John Korak on the utterly unfair Baroque version of the instrument. The chorus was terrific throughout, and the choral writing foreshadows the mature oratorios. When all the forces on stage were in on the act, it packed tremendous musical power and proved ideal contrast for the smaller sections. Oboist Charles Wines was a worthy third party on his obbligato with the alto and soprano (Tannehill Anderson), displaying a firm, rich tone. Bass soloist Josh Lawlor, like his colleagues, possessed a smooth, supple tone, although he was occasionally lost in the ensemble. When all three soloists sang together, however briefly, the balance and pitch were phenomenal. The finale was exuberant and energetic, a brilliant finish to a fine performance, and the musicians were rewarded with a richly deserved standing ovation.

REVIEW:
JEMS Festival: Concert 4
Final Concert: Handel, the Ultimate Cosmopolitan
August 5, 2011
Liberty United Methodist Church
1001 Sunset Avenue, Liberty, MO 64068

Top Photo: Kansas City Baroque Consortium

By Erik Klackner

Classical Contributor

Erik Klackner loves music enough to try and write about it. After receiving a bachelor's degree in horn from the University of Kentucky and a master's in orchestral conducting from the University of Utah, Erik worked as a freelance musician in the Pacific Northwest before relocating to the Midwest. There is an 85% chance that he is engrossed is some random Varèse piece or Bruckner 9 as you are reading this sentence. His unedited thoughts can be read at klacknermusic.wordpress.com.