History was made onstage at Orchestra Hall on Sunday afternoon. For the first time, the early music group the Rose Ensemble collaborated with the Minnesota Orchestra and the music transported the audience to the 18th-century Baroque era, but with a twist.
Minnesota Orchestra's collaboration smells like a rose
REVIEW: The Rose Ensemble brought songs from the Latin Baroque era for a stirring concert with the Minnesota Orchestra.
By william randall beard
December 15, 2014 at 8:53PM
"Navidad en Cuba: Christmas in Havana Cathedral" focused on works of the Latin Baroque that blended the European style with indigenous influences. The Rose Ensemble has had experience with performing this repertoire for more than a decade and presented it with intelligence and flair.
There was an ensemble of about 20 instruments from the Minnesota Orchestra, supplemented by a Baroque harp and Baroque guitar. They provided the ideal level of support and enhancement of the vocalists.
The Rose Ensemble is used to performing in more intimate settings, but they filled the hall, singing with the true joy of the season.
The major work on the program was "Misa de Navidad (Mass of Christmas Day)" by Cuban native Esteban Salas y Castro. The work blended the rich harmonies and ornate decorations of the European tradition with melodies and rhythms of Latin folk music, adding another layer of lightness and joy.
This is a powerful, entertaining work that should be better known.
The men sang a cappella plainchant between the movements, re-creating the actual experience of hearing the work in a church setting.
The diverse program featured compositions from Bolivia, Peru and Guatemala, and even one from a Spanish mission in California. There was a piece sung in the original Aztec language, as well as one based on the music of African slaves.
The orchestra's playing of several movements from Bach Suites and "Entrance of the Queen of Sheba" from Handel's "Solomon" were enjoyable in their own right but also nicely provided a cultural context, revealing how unique and special this Latin Baroque music really was.
A Dixit Dominus by Francisco Corselli closed the concert. It was much more strictly European in style, more formal, standing in stark relief to the more freewheeling works that preceded it. But it brought the performance to a rousing climax.
The concert received a standing ovation and was also well attended. We can only hope that history will repeat itself and we will be treated to further collaborations in the future.
William Randall Beard is a Minneapolis writer.
