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'The Art of the Baroque Concerto': Soloists, Devon Baroque, Artistic Director Margaret Faultless, St George’s Church, Tiverton, Devon 28.9.2008 (AB) 


This was the first concert I had heard by Devon Baroque  and  was given in the fine old, Grade 1 listed  church of St. George’s in Tiverton where it was well attended by an enthusiastic audience. Devon Baroque’s approach to the programme was  immediately apparent:  they were playing at 414hz pitch, rather than “modern concert pitch” – about a semitone lower as Margaret Faultless told me - and on baroque instruments, resulting in a richer sound quality. Combined with their high standard of execution, their interpretation and their  sheer exuberance and delight in this repertoire  made this an outstanding and memorable concert.

Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba started the concert with a short, bright, attention-seeking work after which we  moved on to the first concerto  -  Vivaldi’s Cello Concert in G minor, RB 416.  Reinmar Seidler delivered a gripping and full-blooded account of this interesting work, making the most of the beautiful melodies  with a full warm sound.. The acoustic of the church may not have been entirely to his benefit, as the cello was very close to the front wooden pew but  even so, this was a riveting performance.

Next came the Oboe Concerto in D minor by Marcello with Rachel Baldock playing a modern Spanish boxwood reproduction of a baroque oboe, once again with a fuller, warmer sound than a modern instrument.   The concerto had a beautiful, lyrical introduction and progressed into a rather wistful adagio.  The presto was taken very fast with  some lovely solo oboe phrasing soaring above the rhythmic orchestral  accompaniment,  reflecting the concerto’s lively mood.

The interval was taken early due to a member of the audience being unwell, but the Vivaldi Concerto in D minor for 2 violins, opus 3, no. 11 (L’Estro Armonico) was also superbly played.  The solo violins soared sublimely in their gorgeous, interweaving melodies, taking the interpretation to a higher plane.  This and the Bach Concerto with which the concert ended were the most exciting works in the performance. 

Vivaldi  was followed by Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in D, Opus 6, No.4, played at a good pace, with a plaintive melody in the adagio and some beautiful playing from the violins. The Wassenaer Concerto Arminici no. 2 was completely different with a strongly characterised phrase being played by the cello and  “answered”  by the violins almost like an opera duet. This too was a dramatic and interesting piece. 

The evening ended with a well-known work,  the Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor by J S Bach (from BWV 1060) played by Devon Baroque’s Artistic Director, Margaret Faultless and the oboe soloist, Rachel Baldock.   This was a brilliant virtuoso performance from  both artists and the ensemble,  with the mellow sound of the lower pitch bringing out all of the richness of the music.  The players “gave it their all”  and in fact  the whole concert was characterised by the evident enthusiasm for  this repertoire which could well the hallmark of Devon Baroque. Every musician played  to a very high standard indeed and their audience loved their music.

Angela Boyd

The newly revamped Devon Baroque web site is here.

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