English National Baroque Ensemble - Bristol Concert Review
Posted on: 2016-09-07
Our rating:
From the feisty ebullience of some movements to the plaintive, tender sections of others, this was top-caliber playing of quality, timeless music.
Saturday 3rd September 2016 saw St George's in Bristol positively effulgent with the lustrous, beautiful strains of some of the finest music of the Baroque era when the English National Baroque Ensemble performed a programme of enchanting compositions from the period.
There's no doubting the ensemble's impressive musical pedigree either, comprising as it does of players from BBC NOW, The London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and the English Chamber Orchestra. And it showed, with the consummate players handling the music with skill, precision and a technical adroitness that was undeniably stunning.
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Made up of music by some of the most prominent composers of the 17th and 18th century, the group segued effortlessly from classic pieces by Bach, Marcello, Boyce, Vanhal and Leclair, capturing the quintessence of sprightliness, spirit and effervescent stateliness through radiant, exquisite performances.
From the feisty ebullience of some movements to the plaintive, tender sections of others, this was top-caliber playing of quality, timeless music.
The audience, of course, loved every second. It's not difficult to see why the English National Baroque Ensemble has established itself as one of the finest, most well respected group of performers of the period's music in the UK. Impeccable playing, stylistic flair and a real grasp and comprehension of the material made it an unbridled few hours of spirited, vivacious baroque and roll.
Article by:
Jamie is a writer, blogger, journalist, critic, film fan, soundtrack nerd and all-round Bristolian good egg. He loves the music of Philip Glass, the art of Salvador Dali, the writings of Charles Bukowksi and Hunter S Thompson, the irreverence of Harry Hill, and the timeless, straw-chomping exuberance of The Wurzels. You can sometimes find him railing against a surging tide of passing cyclists, or gorging himself senseless on the Oriental delights of a Cosmos all-you-can-eat buffet.
