Early Music Festival 2

Four concerts today.

The 'Performers Platform' by Guildhall students was very impressive, musically and dramatically, and Harun Tekin, tenor, is one to watch out for.

We slithered into the Young Ensemble Competition late and heard the last of the three groups competing, Bellot Ensemble. They were excellent and when I heard later that they hadn't won, I rather regretted not arriving in time for the first two. Instead I'd been watching the hands of this harpsichordist, Maciej Skreczkowski.

But the best by far today was La Vaghezza, playing early 17th century Italian music. Vaghezza is "an aesthetic concept which describes a beauty impossible to understand or grasp: like smoke, something calling to be touched yet remaining intangible." A really appropriate name for them.

I learnt from the programme notes that "the 17th century in Italy was a period of explosive change in the field of music. This shift is evident in the treatises and correspondence from that time, showcasing the enthusiasm with which new ideas were shared. These ideas, emerging from small groups of what we would now call experimental composers, broke down previously rigid boundaries and quickly established new foundations for musical expression. Behind these emerging compositional styles lay the desire for emotions to be more vividly and understandably communicated in music, and this programme mixes pieces that take different approaches to this. Some works draw inspiration from vocal music influenced by meditation, employing slow sounds and developing interesting harmonies. Others embrace the rhythmic and improvisational qualities of dance, clearly inspired by folk music. A third approach is explored that arose in the mid-1600s, which was the composition of musical “oddities” – this style, known as ‘stylus phantasticus,’ was an attempt to write music that was almost formless, and kept an improvisational feel."

I wondered how they'd manage improvisation but I guess there's really only one way. The musicians took it in turns to play what they wanted, others jammed then it was someone else's turn. It was a fabulous, energetic, entertaining, engaging evening and we left buzzing.

I will go well out of my way to hear them again.