# Attended my first baroque concert!!



## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

Yesterday my wife Lisa and I attended a concert of baroque music. Some of you may know that my appreciation of classical music is only about 5 years old. This appreciation (obsession) arose after spending 3 day's with the London Mozart Players while in England. I'm using the term classical loosely as it is really early music~ mostly baroque but delving into renaissance and medival music, that I am moved by. 
In the short 5 years since my introduction to this type of music I have only attended 2 concerts (not including the work with LMP) which were wonderful BUT not baroque music.
Yesterday we had the opportunity to attend a concert in someones living room!!! What a grand way to listen to this music. From my understanding baroque was meant to be listened to in small settings and much of it was meant to dance to.
Members of the Baroque Orchestra of Maine Richard Hsu- baroque violin (orchestra of St lukes etc), Heidi Powell -baroque violin (Tafelmusik etc) and Timothy Burris- theorbo ( taught at Royal Flemish conservatory, currently at Portland Conservatory of Music) offered this concert which was both educational and musically like the best fireworks display ever 
The program included works by Bach,Handel, Corelli, Biber, Vivaldi, Telemann and
de Visee. This last composers pieces were played on theorbo....

So this is in some way a fantasy of mine as I have for a long time wanted to attend a baroque concert in a small venue~what could make it any more exciting?????

Behind the musicians were two large picture windows which offered a view of a rocky ledge. There are small tree's on and around the ledge as well as an assortment of wildflowers. In addition there were several bird feeders. As the day was cloudy and drizzly with some breeze the tree's and flowers danced a beautiful dance to the music. A small flock of goldfinches and Juncos fluttered back and forth like small sparkles adding to the dance and making the music Whole~incredible!


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Sounded great, thanks for sharing it with us. I think its good to go to concerts in more intimate setting like that, and do things like talk to the musicians afterwards. It makes it kind of 'real' and more down to earth. Great program as well, I am also getting into Baroque era, and going to concerts of this music here whenever I can. I esp. like Corelli and am beginning to get into J.S. Bach more now. I like the others too, but Biber is a largely unknown quantity for me, and de Visee I've never heard of. I like it when they put obscure things in the program like that, it makes it interesting and fresh.


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## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

Thanks Sid. The setting was perfect and as you mentioned it lent it self to interacting with the musicians which in and of it self was nice! I've seen and listened to theorbo only in videos so I had no idea of it's presence both musically and artistically. It is a magnificent instrument!
I was kind of pleased with myself because while none of the pieces played were familiar I did recognize the style of the composers except de Visse whom I had not heard before but I will listen to more of his music. Two Chaconnes by de Visee were played by the theorbist...


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