- Roger Mastroianni
- Jeannette Sorell
The inaugural concert of the new Apollo’s Fire season opened with a fanfare — two horn players on opposite sides of the stage introducing the ensemble with a regal flourish that set the tone for an evening notable mostly for fine duet and solo work.
The program was an accessible trio of Brandenberg Concertos (Nos. 1, 2 & 5), played with the vivacity that characterizes Apollo’s Fire performances, tempered by the steady hand of music director and conductor Jeannette Sorrell. Setting a measured tempo from the harpsichord, Sorrell served up textbook versions of the pieces that allowed plenty of room for the soloists, including herself, to shine.
The No. 1, with natural horn sonorities that need to be carefully balanced with the strings and oboes, may be the most difficult to bring to life. It started a bit heavy-handed, finally picking up zest and depth in the third movement. The focus was largely on concertmaster Olivier Brault playing a violino piccolo, which looks like a child-size violin. Brault showed virtuoso skills in his mastery of a difficult part on a specialized instrument, in itself a challenge to play. And he took full advantage of the spotlight, with a style that sometimes seemed more rock than Bach. It detracted a bit from the remaining strings, which sounded quite good in the later passages featuring the supporting violins and cellos.
This article appears in Oct 10-16, 2012.