Bach Aria Soloists blend music and theater in imaginative ʻDon Quixoteʼ
BY BILL BROWNLEE Special to The Star
A charming combination of musical finesse and light theater, the Bach Aria Soloistsʼ remarkably imaginative program “The Adventures of Don Quixote” enchanted an audience of more than 250 people Saturday at St. Paulʼs Episcopal Church. The 65-minute presentation inspired by Cervantesʼ 17th-century novel married the formidable artistry of the Kansas City-based ensemble with a simple but effective dramatic staging.
In his roles as the narrator and as the hapless Don Quixote, actor Mark Robbins established the setting of several decisive portions of Cervantesʼ timeless story from his perch in the church pulpit. Robert Bickers played Don Quixoteʼs patient squire, Sancho Panza, with hammy aplomb. Sarah Tannehill Anderson, the ensembleʼs vocalist, also elicited laughter as she portrayed Dulcinea, the woman whom Don Quixote absurdly idealizes.
The hilarious tale of the woefully misguided Spanish knight errant was balanced by performances of more than a dozen concise compositions that transported the audience to the Iberian peninsula of the Renaissance era.The program opened with an appropriately dramatic 16th-century composition for organ written by Antonio de Cabezón. Keyboardist Elisa Williams Bickers switched to harpsichord for the remainder of the evening.Joined by guest cellist Sascha Groschang, the core ensemble of violinist Elizabeth Suh Lane, stringed instrument wizard Beau Bledsoe, Anderson and Bickers displayed impeccable group interplay. The stately works didnʼt allow for individual flourishes, but Laneʼs contribution was accentuated by the churchʼs marvelous acoustics. She played with controlled fire on jaunty selections and with expressive melancholy during reserved pieces. Andersonʼs singing was delectable on an interpretation of Gaspar Sanzʼs “Marizápalos,” a sensual song about a tryst. The sopranoʼs reading of the somber Catalan piece “La Mare de Déu” was equally effective.
Without a fixed performance venue, Bach Aria Soloists concerts transpire at sites thatsuit the tone of each program. The Old World atmosphere of St. Paulʼs Episcopal Church provided ideal ambiance for “The Adventures of Don Quixote.” Yet only people seated near the center aisle in the front of the church enjoyed unimpeded views of the musicians. Furthermore, ill-timed pops and groans of what sounded like the buildingʼs radiators marred a delicate reading of Henry du Baillyʼs tender 17th-century meditation “Yo Soy la Locura.”
These minor hindrances were no match for the ensembleʼs talent and creativity. Unlike the delusional Don Quixote, the members of Bach Aria Soloists know exactly what theyʼre doing.
CONCERT REVIEW KANSAS CITY STAR Feb 7, 2016 originally posted here: https://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/classical-music-dance/article154304599.html
