La Follia
Saturday, April 8, 1995
First English Lutheran Church

Baroque Done Right

To those whose acquaintance with Baroque music is confined to the greatest hits of 'Bach, Handel and Vivaldi, I'd suggest a healthy dose of La Follia.

In its April 8 concert at First English Lutheran Church, this seven-member period instrument ensemble evoked the whimsy, melancholy and romanticism that characterize that distant era, as well as the grandeur of its most illustrious figure, J.S. Bach.

Austin's La Follia, whose name is derived from a nine-chord baroque harmonic progression, was joined by guest artist Therese Honey a harpist from Houston who brought along two period harps -- one a rather unwieldy double harp with two rows of strings, the other a Spanish instrument. She provided the continuo for three works on the first half of the program, and played solo in Lady Carey's Dompe, an anonymous lament that was played with elegance and just the right amount of dolefulness.

Of the ensemble works, Georg Philipp Telemann's Canonic Sonata and Jan Zelenka's II stood out -- the Telemann for the delightfully teasing counterpoint between flute and violin, and the Zelenka for the sweetness of its instrumental blend, recorder player Dell Hollingsworth's technical command, and the vocal restraint of contralto Stephanie Prewitt.

Four works by Bach were represented on the program: a movement from a partita for solo flute, two cantata arias, and the Organ Fugue in E flat. All cast a new light on the old master that simply can't be achieved with modern instruments and performance practices. The woody sounds of the winds, the bowing subtleties in the strings, and the near vibratoless singing all contributed to the charm of this musical time machine.

Michael Huebner
Special to the American-Statesman
April 26, 1995