My Live Concert: My First Live Concert

My first live concert was held at the Lone Tree Arts Center on September 9th. The venue was a modern performing arts center built in Lone Tree, Colorado. The event hall was fairly simple, there was a small stage for the performers in front of a large window overlooking the outdoor concert terrace. The green grass and the swaying trees and plants in the background gave the performance a wonderful backdrop. The ceilings were tall, and the entire room was very brightly lit. There were four performers from the Baroque Chamber Orchestra: Stacey Brady, playing the Baroque Violin, Emily Bowman, playing the Baroque Viola, Sandra Miller, with a 5-string Baroque Cello, and Frank Nowell on the Harpsichord. The quartet was playing a number of pieces,

The piece was opened with an unmeasured prelude on the harpsichord (unmeasured meaning the piece was written without bar measures, and it leaves the expression of the piece up to the performer). The prelude was written by an anonymous Frenchman in the 17th century. The Ground is a moderate tempo piece played on the harpsichord with a light and happy feel. It was a welcome example of ground bass in Baroque music. After that, the performers prepared for the main event: their favorite selections of the Goldberg Variations. They played Handel’s Air and Variations as a prelude. This piece is often called “The Harmonious Blacksmith”, because it takes the original “air” and creates 5 variations. Each variation is more complicated, or more ornamented, as was the style in the Baroque period. As the Air ends, we get into my favorite composition of the concert, the Goldberg

He held a position as a court instrumentalist for a lord, and his lord needed a cure. What could Bach cure with his music? Insomnia, as the story goes. This is probably not true, but it does make for a fun joke. The music begins with an aria, slow and sweet, played by the string instruments. The aria is then repeated by the harpsichord, so that it is better committed to memory. Then, the fun begins. The group had selected 11 of their favorite variations to play for us. Each variation consisted of the same basic tune, with certain things altered, such as: instruments, tempo, style, and sometimes even mode. Each variation offered something new and exciting, showcasing the violins beauty in the upper register, the cellos power in the mid and low ranges, and the violas versatile range. My favorite variations were 7, 16, and 21. In variation 7, the feel of the song changes from slow and sweet instrumental beauty, to a bright and cheery, almost bouncy tune. The violin and the cello played this variation at the concert, and they played it flawlessly. The two instruments played together, bouncing a syncopated rhythm back and forth in an almost dance-like quality. In variation 16, the original aria is heavily decorated in typical Baroque style. Played by all four members, the power and emotion behind the original is doubled, and at various sections, each instrument shows off