RSLI Hosts Workshop with The Flanders Quartet
contributed by Nancy Tooney
The Recorder Society of Long Island, RSLI, hosted a very successful
two-day workshop organized by Rachei Begley, featuring The Flanders Quartet
- a perfect way to celebrate Play-the-Recorder Month! The Siena SpirituaIity
Center in Watermill, NY on the south shore of Long Island provided an idyllic
setting for a tranquil, yet very focused experience. The estate with its
broad expanse of grounds has gardens, a labyrinth, and a stunning view of
Mecox Bay, all contributing to a sense of peace and reflection. The thirty-plus
participants were placed into small groups, allowing for exploration of double
choir and eight-part music under the expert eyes and ears of the Flanders
members. Each group of players had a session each day with each of the quartet,
with ample time for coffee breaks and meals.
My group's day began with Joris van Goethem who gave us some insight
on how he cares for wooden recorders, a little scary for those of us who
don't routinely take out blocks and clean recorders with a toothbrush. We
worked on a movement from Bach's Brandenberg Concerto 2 set for recorders,
mercifully at a pace we could, more or less, manage under Joris's patient
supervision. Bart Spanove directed our second session and shared his
insights on breath and fingers, with some especially useful exercises for
the production of vibrato. Much of our time was spent exploring a double
choir work by Brade, with a little time on Day Two for a modern work by Willem
Wander van Nieuwkerk.
After lunch each day, Han Toll guided the group in double choir music
of Picci. Han drew our attention to the early concept of the great value
of silence and contemplation as the listener might then hear the music
of the spheres embedded in the silence. Thus, human music that interrupted
silence had better be of a high quality! Han's discussion of the polemical
exchanges of the early baroque period were very helpful, as was his introduction
to different "affects" for rests. Last class of the day with Paul van Loey
focused on the Bach Komme, Jesu, Komme. This is vocal music and we
did not succeed in two days to imbue the music with the "singing" quality,
the accuracy and effortless needed for Bach. But there is a quality of mercy
inherent in Bach's music and we finally achieved a partial success on day
two. Perhaps a partial redemption linked to the religious symbolism of the
labyrinth on the lawn of the villa grounds.
Saturday evening brought a "double treat" faculty concert - The New Amsterdam
Trio (Rachel Begley, Daphna Mor and Trieia van Oers) opened for The Flanders
Quartet. The trio began with two early anonymous works: van Goethem's arrangement
of the 14th century Estampie "Petrone," played with high energy, and
the more reflective Si la Noche from mid 16th century. Following Begley's
lively arrangement of the van Eyck Buffons, the group offered a crowd-pleasing
Bye, Bye, Blues (C-U Jesus) by Willem Wander van Nieuwkerk and the
Allegro non Molto from the Vivaldi Concerto in G minor.
The Flanders Quartet gave eloquent performances of settings of the
music of J.S. Bach, making full use of low choir instruments. Contrapunctus
II from Art of Fuge BWV 1080, was followed by Joris van Goethem's
arrangements of Vater unser im Himmelreich, BWV 737 and Fuga in a,
BWV 543. They closed the set with Bart Spanhove's arrangement of the Bach
Concerto in a, BWV 596. To experience the sound of the quartet was
a near-religious event, consonant with the setting of the spirituality center
itself.
The New Amsterdam Trio joined the Flanders Quartet with a final set
of frve- and seven-part music. Following the Schmelzer Sonata in G, the septet
gave a beautiful reading of the Parsons In Nomine a 7 played on high
instruments. Four works by Holborne variously employed the full spectrum
of instruments from 'nino to contrabass, a nice balance of different textures
and energy levels. The grand finale first movement from the Bach Brandenberg
Concerto No. 1 brought the performance to a riveting close. This "pick-up"
septet played with very close affinity for the music and with each other.
What an inspiration!
Home