Today’s VoM Video Stream Celebrates Paris

This afternoon gave me time to view today’s installment in the Sunday Mornings at Ten series of videos compiled by Voices of Music (VoM). The title of the program was also the title of the final work to be performed, “Le Labyrinthe,” composed by Marin Marais for solo gamba performed by Cassandra Luckhardt with continuo provided by Elizabeth Reed (gamba) and Katherine Heater (harpsichord). The solo part depicts an entry into what may be called a “strophic labyrinth,” in which each strophe explores a venture through a new twist and turn with embellishments that become successively elaborate until the soloist emerges from the labyrinth in the final coda. Luckhardt knew exactly how to lead the listener through all of those twists and turns, always drawing upon the accompanying foundation provided by the continuo.

This made for an impressive account of “program music” from the early eighteenth century. That genre was complemented at the beginning of the program with a short piece by François Couperin entitled “Le Rossignol en Amour” (the nightingale in love). This was performed as by Hanneke van Proosdij on recorder, accompanied at the harpsichord by Derek Tam. She had no trouble capturing the spirit of that passionate nightingale through her interpretation of Couperin’s theme.

Screen shot of Proosdij playing the d’Anglebert sarabande on a double manual harpsichord made by Kevin Fryer with a painting by Millicent Tomkins, adapted from Pieter Brueghel, on the lid

Within that framework, the remainder of the program was more abstract. There was a full ensemble account of a Couperin musette, bringing Proosdij, Tam, and Reed together with William Skeen (also on viol), Carla Moore (baroque violin), and David Tayler (archlute). Skeen, Tayler, and Proosdij (on harpsichord) provided more Maris with his chaconne; and Proosdij also presented harpsichord accounts of music by Jean-François Dandrieu and Jean-Henry d'Anglebert. All of these selections would have been performed in Paris, although none of them are likely to have any association with current Olympic events.