By Grant North
On March 2, the Oberlin Baroque Ensemble entered the Romanesque architecture of Fairchild Chapel to perform Jean Philippe Rameau’s Pieces de clavecin en concerts (1741), five suites divided into three to four movements showcasing one of the 18th century’s most renowned composers. The audience was transported back in time, surrounded by high stone walls that reverberated every conversation, footstep, and squeaky shifting to find a comfortable spot on the pews. The performers were equally period appropriate with Michael Lynn employing a wooden flute and Rebecca Landell a 6-string viola da gamba.
The Premier Concert begins with a trio between violin (Edwin Huizinga), gamba, and harpsichord (Mark Edwards). From start to finish, Edward’s performance was crisp and thrilling with blazing figures and sharp ornaments that maintained a near constant source of flourishing energy. The most physically active on stage, Huizinga played passionately, swaying in his seat to the contours of the music. His assuredness sometimes led to the violin overpowering the rest of the ensemble. Another problem was the gamba constantly slipping out of tune. Rameau wrote many sequences where the violin and gamba play in 3rds and there were often moments where Landell tried to adjust the strings back in tune. This isn’t to criticize Landell’s technique as she had many phrases where her fingers flew up and down the fingerboard at a blistering pace with impressive accuracy.
The second movement began with Lynn playing in unison with Huizinga. For all its wonderful sounds, the flute was underused during the program. There were sparse moments — like in the Deuxième Concert and Cinquième Concert — where Rameau gave the flute a more independent function. These were the bright spots of the night, when all four performers interacted back and forth, sharing languishing melodies with rapid, dramatic sequences.
Overall, the program needed more variety. It was often difficult to distinguish one piece from the next. Perhaps the concert could have been split between Rameau and the works of another Baroque composer. This would have allowed for the other performers to showcase their talents — this concert was mostly centered on the violin.
Never underestimate the influence of a concert setting and how it impacts the atmosphere. Attending a concert in Fairchild Chapel is a wonderful experience. It is an architectural and acoustic wonder that can transport an audience to the music of a different time period. While this program would have been a better fit for a recording rather than a concert, the Oberlin Baroque Ensemble demonstrated the full capabilities of Rameau’s music as it resonated off the stone walls to the delight of the listener.
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