Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra performs Vivaldi's Venice
2014-04-04
Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA
8:00 PM, Friday, April 4, 2014

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Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678-1741): Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie (Judith triumphant over the barbarians of Holofernes), RV 644 (1716); libretto (in Latin!) by Giacomo Cassetti (possibly 1682-1757)

[7:17 PM intro by ?]
[7:17 PM talk by Barbara Quick]
[talk ends 7:41 PM or so after very brief Q&A session]

[7:59 PM, concert tuning]
[8:01 PM announcements by Kay S Grace (sp)]
[8:09 PM lights down, entrance of soloists and McGegan]

1. [8:10 PM] Chorus of Assyrian Soldiers: “Arma, Caedes, Vindictae, Furores”
2. [8:14 PM] Recitative, Holofernes: “Felix En Fausta Dies”
3. [8:15 PM] Aria, Holofernes: “Nil Arma, Nil Bella”
4. [8:18 PM] Recitative, Vagaus: “Mi Dux, Domine Mi”
5. [8:19 PM] Aria, Vagaus: “Matrona Inimica”
6. [8:22 PM] Recitative, Holofernes/Vagaus: “Huc Accedat Matrona”
7. [8:23 PM] Aria, Juditha: “Quo Cum Patriae Me Ducit Amore”
8. [8:27 PM] Recitative, Abra: “Ne Timeas Non”
9. [8:27 PM] Aria, Abra: “Vultus Tui Vago Splendori”
10. [8:30 PM] Recitative, Abra/Juditha: “Vide, Humilis Prostrata”
11. [8:31 PM] Vagaus with Chorus of Assyrian Soldiers: “O Quam Vaga, Venusta, O Quam Decora”
12. [8:32 PM] Recitative, Vagaus: “Quem Vides Prope”
13. [8:33 PM] Aria, Vagaus: “Quamvis Ferro Et Ense Gravis”
14. [8:36 PM] Recitative, Juditha/Holofernes: “Quid Cerno! Oculi Mei”
15. [8:38 PM] Aria, Juditha: “Quanto Magis Generosa”
16. [8:46 PM] Recitative, Juditha/Holofernes: “Magna, O Foemina Petis”
17. [8:47 PM] Aria, Holofernes: “Sede, O Cara”
18. [8:51 PM] Recitative, Juditha/Holofernes: “Tu Judex Es, Tu Dominus, Tu Potens”
19. [8:52 PM] Aria, Juditha: “Agitata Infido Flatu”
20. [8:56 PM] Recitative, Holofernes: “
21. [8:57 PM] Vagaus with Chorus of Servants: “O Servi, Volate”
22. [9:00 PM] Recitative, Vagaus/Abra: “Tu Quoque Hebraica Ancilla”
23. [9:01 PM] Aria, Juditha: “Veni, Me Sequere Fida”
24. [9:07 PM] Recitative, Abra: “Venio, Juditha”
25. [9:07 PM] Aria, Abra: “Fulgeat Sol Frontis Decorae”
26. [9:11 PM] Recitative, Abra: “In Urbe Interim Pia”
27. [9:12 PM] Chorus, Bethulian Women: “Mundi Rector De Caelo”
    [set ends 9:15 PM; applause until 9:17 PM]

[~9:30 PM, Viols onstage now (absent from set one)]
[9:31 PM chorus begins to trickle in]
[9:35 PM most of ensemble back and ready to roll]
[9:37 PM concert tuning; long pause, then lights dimmed a trifle]
[9:42 PM entrance of NM and soloists]

1. [9:42 PM] Recitative, Ozias: “Summi Regis In Mente”
2. [9:43 PM] Aria, Ozias: “O Sydera, O Stellae”
3. [9:48 PM] Recitative, Ozias/Holofernes: “Jam Saevientis In Hostem”
4. [9:50 PM] Aria, Holofernes: “Nox Obscura Tenebrosa”
5. [9:57 PM] Recitative, Holofernes/Juditha: “Belligerae Meae Sorti”
6. [9:58 PM] Aria, Juditha: “Transit Aetas”
7. [10:04 PM] Recitative, Holofernes/Juditha: “Haec In Crastinum Serva”
8. [10:05 PM] Aria, Holofernes: “Noli, O Cara, Te Adorantis”
9. [10:11 PM] Recitative, Juditha: “Tibi Dona Salutis”
10. [10:12 PM] Chorus Of Assyrian Soldiers: “Plena Nectare Non Mero”
11. [10:13 PM] Recitative, Holofernes: “Tormenta Mentis Tuae Fugiant A Corde”
12. [10:14 PM] Aria, Juditha: “Vivat In Pace, Et Pax Regnet Sincera”
13. [10:18 PM] Recitative, Juditha: “Sic In Pace Inter Hostes”
14. [10:19 PM] Aria, Vagaus: “Umbrae Carae, Aurae Adoratae”
15. [10:25 PM] Recitative, Vagaus/Juditha/Abra: “Quae Fortunata Es Tu”
16. [10:27 PM] Aria, Abra: “Non Ita Reducem”
17. [10:31 PM] Recitative, Abra: “Jam Pergo, Postes Claudo”
18. [10:31 PM] Recitative, Juditha: “Summe Astrorum Creator”
19. [10:32 PM] Aria, Juditha: “In Somno Profundo”
20. [10:39 PM] Recitative, Juditha: “Impii, Indigni Tiranni”
21. [10:40 PM] Recitative, Juditha/Abra: “Abra, Abra, Accipe Munus”
22. [10:40 PM] Aria, Abra: “Si Fulgida Per Te Propitia Caeli Fax”
23. [10:43 PM] Recitative, Vagaus: “Jam Non Procul Ab Axe”
24. [10:45 PM] Aria, Vagaus: “Armatae Face”
25. [10:48 PM] Recitative, Ozias: “Quam Insolita Luce”
26. [10:49 PM] Aria, Ozias: “Gaude Felix Bethulia”
27. [10:53 PM] Recitative, Ozias: “Ita Decreto Aeterno”
28. [10:54 PM] Chorus, Bethulian Women: “Salve, Invicta Juditha, Formosa”
    [set ends 10:55 PM, ovations until 10:59 PM]

• Cécile van de Sant as Juditha, a young Bethulian widow: mezzo-soprano vox;
• Dominique Labelle as Abra, Juditha's handmaid and faithful companion: soprano vox;
• Virginia Warnken as Ozias, high priest of Bethulia: contralto vox;
• Diana Moore as Holofernes, Assyrian general: mezzo-soprano vox;
• Vivica Genaux as Vagaus, a eunuch, Holofernes's squire: mezzo-soprano vox;
• choir of Assyrian soldiers and Bethulian women: Philharmonia Chorale

• Elizabeth Blumenstock: principal second violin (Andrea Guarneri, Cremona, 1660; on loan from the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Period Instrument Trust), viola d'amore (anonymous mid-20th Century);
• David Daniel Bowes: viola (Richard Duke, London, c. 1780);
• Phoebe Carrai: principal cello (Anonymous, Italy, c. 1690);
• Maria Ionia Caswell: principal viola (William Old, Falmouth, England, 1895);
• Michael DuPree: oboe (H.A. Vas Dias, Decautr, GA, 1995, after T. Stanesby, England, ca. 1700);
• Lisa Grodin: violin (Paolo Antonio Testore, Contrada, Larga di Milano, 1736);
• Paul Hale: cello (Joseph Grubaugh & Sigrun Seifert, Petaluma, 1988, after Antonio Stradivari, Cremona);
• Diane Heffner: chalumeau (Soren Green, 2014, after 18th Century originals);
• Eric Hoeprich: principal chalumeau (Eric Hoeprich, after 18th Century originals), recorder (Beha & Gibbons, Boston, after Stanesby, ca. 1720);
• Fred Holmgren: trumpet (Fred Holmgren, MA, 2005, after J.L. Ehe III, 1746);
• Katherine Kyme: violin (Carlo Antonio Testore, Milan, 1720);
• Tyler Lewis: violin (Timothy Johnson, Hewitt, TX, 2009, after Antonio Stradivari, Cremona);
• Nicholas McGegan: harpsichord, conductor, music director;
• David Morris: viola da gamba (Philip Davis, Quebec, 1979; after Edward Lewis);
• Maxine Nemerovski: violin (Timothy Johnson, Bloomington, Indiana, 1999; after A. Stradivari);
• Ellie Nishi: viola (Anonymous, Germany, 18th century);
• Annalisa Pappano: viola da gamba (Louis Guersan, Paris, 1754);
• Farley Pearce: viola da gamba (Francois Bodart, Belgium, 1989);
• Kent Reed: principal timpani (Pete Woods, Aldershot, England, 1996, after 18th Century Continental, hand-tuned);
• Marc Schachman: principal oboe (H.A. Vas Dias, Decautr, GA, 2001, after T. Stanesby, England, ca. 1710);
• Andrew Schwartz: principal bassoon (Rainer Egger, Basel, 2003, after J.L. Ehe III, 1746);
• Charles Sherman: principal harpsichord (John Phillips, Berkeley, 1996, after Giusti, Italy, 17th century);
• William Skeen: cello (Anonymous, Italy, c. 1680), viola da gamba (John Pringle, North Carolina, 2001, after W. Addison, London, 1697);
• Laurie Young Stevens: violin (Anonymous, Paris, c. 1720);
• Noah Strick: violin (Celia Bridges, Cologne, Germany, 1988);
• David Tayler: principal theorbo (Andreas von Holst, Munich, 2004; after Magno Tieffenbrucker, Venice, 1610), principal mandolin (Venetian mandolin by Daniel Larson, Duluth, MN, 1996, after various originals, ca. 1700);
• John Thiessen: principal trumpet (Rainer Egger, Basel, 2003, after J.L. Ehe III, 1746);
• Hanneke van Proosdij: principal recorder (Peter van der Poel, Utrecht, 2005, after Stanesby Jr, London, 1725), principal organ (Winold van der Putten, Finsterwolde, Duluth, MN, 1996, after various originals, ca 1700);
• Jolianne von Einem: violin (Rowland Ross, Guilford, England, 1979; after Antonio Stradivari, Cremona);
• Lisa Weiss: concertmaster, violin (Anonymous, London; after Testore);
• Alicia Yang: violin (Richard Duke, London, 1762);
• Kristin Zoernig: principal contrabass (Joseph Wrent, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1648);
• Daniel Zuluaga: theorbo (Lars Jönsson, Dalarö 2009, after Magno Tieffenbrucker, Venice, c.1600).

• Angela Arnold: soprano vox;
• Jennifer Ashworth: soprano vox;
• John Bischoff: bass vox;
• Randall Bunnell: bass vox;
• Daniel Cromeenes: alto vox;
• Matthew Curtis: tenor vox;
• Tonia d’Amelio: soprano vox;
• Elliot Franks: alto vox;
• Kevin Gibbs: tenor vox;
• Jimmy Kansau: tenor vox;
• Claire Kelm: soprano vox;
• David Kurtenbach: tenor vox;
• Bruce Lamott: director;
• Katherine McKee: alto vox;
• James Monios: bass vox;
• Mark Mueller: tenor vox;
• Daniel Pickens-Jones: bass vox;
• Chad Runyon: bass vox;
• Jonathan Smucker: tenor vox;
• Eric Tuan: alto vox;
• Ian Walker: bass vox;
• Heidi Waterman: alto vox;
• Jacque Wilson: alto vox;
• Helene Zindarsian: soprano vox;
• Angelique Zuluaga: soprano vox.

Friday traffic was the usual nightmare, but departing rather early, it was purely mental torture than any actual problem. And my patience was rewarded by a prime spot on Van Ness, hardly a block from the venue. Dinner was a quick bite from the Grove – the usual – as it's certainly a convenient place to meet for shows at SFJAZZ. Given the easy parking, fast service and relatively late start, we headed over to Miner for the pre-show talk by Barbara Quick, author of Vivaldi's Virgins a speculative work of historical fiction about Vivaldi.

Note that Bethulia translates from Hebrew to “a virgin”; while the ancient site has yet to be positively identified by modern scholars, it is generally accepted that the original tale is somewhat factual (rather than being merely an allegorical story about virgin warriors, Jerusalem or Israel).

Joshua Kosman reviewed a performance earlier in the week (at Stanford) for the SF Chronicle.

So what did I think?

Well I was happy to attend, OK with my choice of seat in the upper balcony (first time sitting there), and in agreement with Kosman's observation that there was plenty of good material in the work. I thought the cast did a great job with their parts, particularly Vivica Genaux, whose areas included plenty of challenging, bird-like trills and intervalic leaps. And the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra put forth a first-rate effort as well, not only the featured soloists, but also in the ensemble accompaniment, which seemed very well-rehearsed to me.

It seems unlikely that I'll get the chance to hear the piece again, given the vagaries of programming among bay area groups. I'm quite glad to have set aside a Friday night for this event!

Back to the previous event ☸ Back to the 2014 yearbox ☸ Back to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!