The mesmerizing harmonies of The English Concert with Andrew Manze are probably still reverberating through the halls of the Memorial Auditorium.

The English Concert, among the world’s most reputable Baroque ensembles, celebrated their Peninsula debut with a matinee performance on Nov. 7th at Stanford University.
18 musicians, under the musical direction of violin mastermind Andrew Manze, brought to life seven enchanting pieces from such composers as Mozart, Biber, Vivaldi, Schmelzer, and Locatelli.

The moment the musicians walked onto the stage, even before they began to play, the audience broke into applause. The English Concert and Andrew Manze won the awe and respect of their audience beginning with the first note they played.

The three pieces composed by Antonio Vivaldi particularly stood out. The English Concert performed with such passion and exhilaration; the range of volumes and feelings expressed within a singular piece was simply breathtaking.

The musicianship was no less then flawless. The performers’ bows moved in unison, each finger placed perfectly. It was almost difficult to imagine such perfect music coming from a live performance.

Another distinguishing aspect of the performance was the way the music was presented. Between pieces, Manze gave a short insight into the composer and music. For example for Heinrich Ignaz Franz Von Biber’s Sonata No. 11 in C Minor, from Fidicinium Sacroprofanum, Manze described the history behind the piece.

“The name of the piece translates to Sacred Profane…suggesting it was written for a church, but it is suitable for a chamber as well,” Manze said. “Here we have a piece with no words…but the listener would certainly hear it as a sacred piece.”

Of the third piece on the program, Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in C Major, Manze expressed his views on the style of the music.

“These are two very different movements. The first [movement] is very… ‘Vivaldian’,” Manze joked. “There are dense patterns and intricate dialogues, but in the second movement, [Vivaldi] tries something different. The melody doesn’t end; it keeps avoiding a period, and it goes through commas and semi colons instead. [Vivaldi] was experimenting.”

Manze’s short analyses furthered the beauty of each piece, allowing audience members to truly appreciate the music from not only a sound perspective, but from a historical aspect as well.

Interestingly enough, Manze has only recently begun performing with The English Concert. Last year, Trevor Pinnock, founder and previous artistic director of The English Concert stepped down and Manze assumed the title of artistic director of the ensemble.
According to David Rowe, one of the managers of The English Concert, the transition between Pinnock and Manze has gone smoothly despite their stylistic differences.

“Trevor is known for a traditional approach, avoiding extremes of contrast,” Rowe said in an email interview. “Andrew highlights the drama and excitement in Baroque music through varieties in tempo, articulation, dynamics, and even pitch.”

“The English Concert was a superb orchestra upon Andrew’s arrival, but he has brought them a world of fresh ideas and excitement,” Rowe said.

According to Rowe, Manze’s success over the past year with The English Concert is best attributed to this liveliness.

“[Manze] could electrify a dead horse by sheer enthusiasm,” Rowe said.

In comparison to the other Violin I musicians, Manze’s performance was unquestionably the most memorable. Manze closed his eyes and hugged the violin as he played. It was as if he and the violin fused into one. The combination of the devout focus and sheer enjoyment with which Manze played was simply tremendous.

After the show, Manze also participated in a post-performance discussion with a question and answer period, as well as a CD signing session.

During the discussion, Manze answered questions regarding his views on the Baroque period.

“We [musicians] naturally strive to match one another, but in the Baroque period, [the composer] wants us to stand out,” Manze said.

Manze also stressed his focus on ensuring the music sounds and feels as it would have in the Baroque period, which dated from 1610-1830 A.D.

“It should sound as if the ink is still wet,” Manze said.
Even though Manze strives to perform in the style of the Baroque period, he still feels there is room to bring something of his own to each piece.

“[The composer] wrote just a skeleton without giving any information about the feelings or the dynamics,” Manze said. “[The composer] expects the performer to fill in the gaps.”

Here Manze alludes to his tendency to improvise during performances.

“Each concert is really fresh,” Manze said. “I used harmonies and chords that seemed appropriate at the moment.”

According to Manze, each of The English Concert’s performances is truly original, in that no performance will sound the same.

“There are so many possibilities which make live [performances] so much fun,” Manze explained. “It’s that element of chance.”

According to Rowe, The English Concert with Andrew Manze will again tour through North America in the Fall of 2005.

“[Audiences] in 2005 and 2006 will see a great deal of Mozart…in celebration of his 250th birthday anniversary,” Rowe said.

The English Concert with Andrew Manze delivered an afternoon of fantastic music, and the quality goes hand in hand with the tradition of Stanford Lively Arts bringing great performance art to the Bay Area. Although The English Concert is not yet scheduled for another performance date at Stanford University, tickets for other classical music performances later in the Stanford Lively Arts season are already on sale. For Stanford Lively Arts tickets and information, call 650-725-ARTS (2787) or visit the website at http://livelyarts.stanford.edu.