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'Sacred Darkness: Expressions of Early Baroque' next for Utopia
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0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 7, 2010 | by Edward Reichel Deseret News
After last month’s concert where Utopia Early Music ventured into the music of colonial America, the group is once again returning to its roots, as it were.
For its upcoming concerts this weekend in Ogden and Salt Lake City, titled “Sacred Darkness: Expressions of Early Baroque,” Utopia will focus on music written for the Lenten season.
“It’s going to be a kind of a mix of works, but mainly with music written to be played during Lent,” said singer and the ensemble’s co- founder Emily Nelson.
One of the major works on the program is Francis Couperin’s “Lecons de tenebres.” “This is a beautiful work for two sopranos,” Nelson said. “I really wanted to do it here ever since I sang it in Seattle when I was there. It’s one of my favorite pieces that I’ve sung.”
Nelson believes that Couperin’s music is underplayed today. “It’s very expressive music,” she said. “In a funny way, it sounds a little like Mozart. Not in its ornamentation, but in its harmonies.”
She and Utopia’s other co-founder, Christopher LeCluyse, who is also a singer, tend to program works they like, and in her case, it includes the French baroque. “It’s so refined and poised,” she said.
The rest of the program, however, has music by German and Italian composers: Dietrich Buxtehude, who was actually Dutch but spent his career in northern Germany and is a significant predecessor to J.S. Bach; Heinrich Sch?tz; Giovanni Legrenzi and Antonio Rigatti.
“Legrenzi and Rigatti are early baroque composers who write in a super chromatic style,” Nelson said. “I hope people will like these pieces.”
The concert unites some local musicians with others from out of state. “We have Jennifer Streeter coming, who is a really great keyboardist. She’s a friend of mine from Seattle.”
Also taking part in the concert, from the Salt Lake area, are Rebecca Hample, soprano; Matthew Bryner, baritone; Lisa Chaufty, recorder; and Leslie Richards, viola da gamba.
“We have a lot of good talent here, and I’m looking forward to working with everyone,” Nelson said.
She added that she’s also excited to be doing baroque music again. “I’m ready to get back to straight-up early music. I think this concert is going to be a lot of fun.”
If you go…
What: Utopia Early Music
Where: Holy Family Catholic Church, 1100 E
seattle waterfront
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