More Mississippians need to discover one of the state’s “best-kept secrets,” the Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music (MA’AM), which continues to outdo itself in bringing the top world-class performers of medieval, Renaissance, baroque and early classical music to various venues in central Mississippi.
The recent concert February 7 by Accademia Bizantina, a baroque ensemble from Ravenna, Italy, was no exception judging by the ecstatic reactions of enthusiasts, many of whom said this was the best one yet. Such is the predictable refrain heard with each successive concert that the nonprofit organization, now in its 37th season, offers to fortunate fans in the Jackson metro region. Even a casual listener with no specialized knowledge of early music “gets” it: These guest players are “rock stars” in their field.
Accademia’s 2019 tour schedule shows just four USA stops: Jackson, San Diego, Los Angeles, and New York City. For the 80-plus ensembles MA’AM has brought us since 1982, Jackson is often the only southern stop their managers book for their North American tours.
Accademia Bizantina is often heard on Sirius XM radio and gained renown earlier this decade with the release of its recording of cantata sinfonias by J.S. Bach. For the Jackson-area audience, the 14 string players presented an all-Vivaldi program of 10 diverse, action-packed concertos, including two for an unusual solo instrument, the viola d’amore, played by concertmaster Alessandro Tampieri. Enhancing the experience for performers and audience alike, the warm ambiance of the concert venue - Tougaloo College’s Woodworth Chapel - proved the perfect choice for instruments of spruce and maple resonating in the all-wood paneling of the 116-year-old chapel. Several patrons pleaded, “Please bring more concerts to this wonderful space.”
Because the violinists and violists stood throughout, a common 18th-century practice, the dynamism of their bowing was heightened by the freedom of movement such a stance affords. Sensing a synchrony of spirit between themselves and listeners, they truly swept the audience into the rhythmic dance that brought these 300-year-old concertos to life. The audience response was full of joy and a palpable sense of inclusion. Concertgoers were energized by Vivaldi’s demanding music, inspiring the ensemble to play with gusto.
Fascinating to watch as well as hear was the precision bowing, the period convex bows permitting quick alternation between sharp grit and diaphanous sheen, and incredibly rapid scale runs rarely attainable on modern counterparts. The bass viol player was pure poetry in motion as he lovingly wafted with uplifted hand each pizzicato note he launched in the slow adagios.
After six standing ovations during the course of the program, the audience elicited two encores from the ensemble, both old favorites familiar to most: a concerto movement better known in its “remake” form by Bach, and a beloved passage from a concerto by Corelli.
