La Petite Bande is the reference in our country for historically informed performances under the direction of Sigiswald Kuijken. When he was asked more than fifty years ago to make a recording of works by Lully on historical instruments, Gustav Leonhardt came up with this orchestra name, referring to the smaller elite orchestra at the court of Versailles under Louis XIV.
String Quartet
On July 12 in Ronse, Sigiswald Kuijken chose a small chamber ensemble (string quartet) to perform Bach's harpsichord concertos and a violin concerto. It took some getting used to the somewhat thin volume, because you expect an orchestral sound in a concerto, but the attentive audience was pin-drop silent and everything could be heard perfectly.
Soloist Hziu-Tzu Ryan opened the concert with the harpsichord concerto in F minor, a rather melancholic key, with a beautiful middle section. The harpsichord played a melody with accompaniment by the strings, plucking like a lute. Then it was the maestro's turn with the violin concerto in E major. This is not at all an obvious key for violin: the four sharps in the key signature and additional sharps in modulations, as well as the awkward fourth position to play the high E.
From the first note, lively music sounded: Bach simply opens with the E major triad, a catchy theme that keeps recurring, alternated with new motifs and modulations. The difficult passages, especially in high positions, were not always impeccable in intonation, but for a violinist of 81 years who makes skillful music at every note, this is only admirable and did not disturb at all. Every note was shaped and felt and was given a function in the rhetorical persuasiveness of the musical whole. The small cadenzas sounded charmingly improvisatory, as if they were being invented on the spot, but certainly as written by Bach himself.
Chin-off
Sigiswald Kuijken is the pioneer of the chin-off violin technique: the violin is not held with the chin, but rests on the collarbone and is kept in place by the thumb, playing finger and bow. This playing technique is not for every violinist and requires a certain dexterity in the left hand, wrist vibrato and shifting technique to change position. The major difference in sound production is the fact that the top plate can vibrate freely and many more overtones come from the violin. If the entire orchestra plays in that way, we get a much richer palette of colors.
It is no coincidence that Sigiswald Kuijken only works with violinists whom he has trained himself in this chin-off technique. If you cannot play violin that way, you don't play with "the band"! That is what makes La Petite Bande and its sound so unique on this planet!
After a short break, it was the turn of harpsichordist Mario Sarrechia. He performed flawlessly the concerto in G minor, a transcription by Bach himself of his violin concerto in A. It took some getting used to the key, especially if you are used to the violin concerto. Mario played energetically and driven in an excellent dialogue with the strings.
Manuscript
This jubilee concert of La Petite Bande ended with the concerto in D minor, which has a very sparkling opening theme full of syncopations and has all the qualities of a glass of champagne that never stops bubbling. In the adagio, the strings open unison as one instrument with the theme that I had never heard that way before.
Indeed, Sigiswald Kuijken is faithful to the score and carefully studies Bach's own handwriting to see what he really meant. For example, Bach noted in the second measure not just 2 eighth notes, but the first one as an appoggiatura, thus performed shorter. In this way, music that is almost 300 years old is brought back to life and each time offers a new and fresh experience for the listener. The final section is even more energetic than the opening section and Mario Sarrechia continued to give his best until the last note!
After this concert, a CD will be made of this program and there is no time to rest: on August 22 you can listen in Lozer-Kruisem to the birthday La Petite Bande presenting a new Bach program: the double concertos for 2 harpsichords and for 2 violins. Reservations can be made via lozercultureel@hotmail.com
Thank you Sigiswald for performing this music in a lively and passionate way!