Yesterday evening (also known as Christmas Eve), Voices of Music (VoM) released its latest video. As might be guessed, this was a “seasonal” offering: the eighth of the twelve concerti grossi in Arcangelo Corelli’s Opus 6 collection of twelve. The last time I reported VoM performing this music was on December 23, 2018, when I wrote “Corelli’s score for this particular concerto includes the inscription ‘Fatto per la notte de Natale’ (made for the night of Christmas); and it is popularly known as the ‘Christmas Concerto.” However, this was not the performance that was captured on video. That would have to wait until December of 2021, when the performance captured on video took place in St. Mark’s Lutheran Church; and the results are now available for viewing on YouTube.
The Voices of Music violinists performing Corelli: Elizabeth Blumenstock and Kati Kyme (front) with Isabelle Seula Lee, Linda Quan, Maxine Nemerovski, and Rachell Ellen Wong (rear) (screen shot from the video being discussed)
Because the music is a concerto grosso, it is scored for multiple soloists and ensemble. There this particular selection is concerned, the soloists are two violinists (Elizabeth Blumenstock and Kati Kyme) and a cellist (William Skeen). However, the camera work does not go out of its way to dwell on the soloists. This is very much an ensemble piece, and that is how it is presented to those viewing this new video.
Corelli extended the usual structure of four movements to six. However, there are two sections of different tempo in the first movement, Vivace followed by Grave. Similarly, the third movement is divided into Adagio-Allegro-Adagio. As a result, there are seven time cues in the text for the YouTube, one for the third movement and the other six for a single tempo.
Mind you, most viewers will find it sufficient to let the video “speak for itself,” particularly if they are already familiar with the music (as I have been for quite some time)!
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