Violinists Julia Wedman and Cristina Prats Costa, together with just a few of their mates from Gentileschi Baroque, are launching a brand new live performance collection titled Concord is in Our Fingers, with their first live performance on December 6. Artistry and advocacy come collectively within the live performance, that includes visitor artist soprano Hélène Brunet, and with all funds raised going to assist the YWCA of Toronto.
December’s live performance is offered along with Pals of Music, and takes place on the historic St. Thomas Church, with most tickets obtainable at pay-what-you-can pricing to make it accessible to anybody.
Concord is in Our Fingers: December 6
Music, compassion, and civic engagement come collectively within the new live performance collection helmed by Costa and Wedman as co-Creative Administrators. Every will characteristic a unique beneficiary, and a roster of native and worldwide musicians.
For December 6, the performers embody:
- Hélène Brunet — soprano
- Cristina Prats Costa — violin
- Julia Wedman — violin
- Matt Antal — viola
- Mélisande Corriveau — viola da gamba and cello
- Avi Stein — harpsichord
- Marco Cera — oboe
LV spoke to Julia Wedman and Cristina Prats Costa concerning the new collection.
Julia Wedman and Cristina Prats Costa: The Interview
Concord is in Our Fingers is an concept that’s been within the works for a while.
“I’d say it’s over just a few years,” Wedman says. “I’d say that Cristina and I had been each what I’d name compulsive helpers.” That features giving again to the neighborhood in quite a lot of methods.
“Over the previous few years, each Cristina and I’ve been educating and enjoying in some completely different communities,” Julia says. A lot of these viewers represented under-served communities and areas. “We discover that form of work very satisfying to do. It brings us lots pleasure and connection.”
“We love to do it in locations the place individuals [often] can’t see Baroque music,” Cristina provides. That features not solely particular communities, however in areas and areas that make it tough to current concert events. “We discover it particular to share the expertise with them,” she says.
As Cristina factors out, the musicians get as a lot out of the efficiency because the viewers.
“They offer us a lot with their enthusiasm,” Costa says.
Wedman mentions experiences Costa had working globally in locations like Suriname, Peru, and South Africa.
“That opened our eyes to how a lot we loved being a part of the neighborhood,” Julia says. “What might we do in Toronto?” Costa moved to Toronto final yr, including momentum to the concept. “What’s one thing we are able to do collectively on the town that may join us to our neighborhood right here?”
Every occasion will characteristic completely different companions and recipients of the funds raised. “It’s an open ended thought,” Wedman provides.
It means they’ll work with many various musicians each out and in of Toronto. “Every live performance, we wish to have a deal with one other neighborhood partnership,” she provides. That may embody scholar teams, charities, and faculties, amongst others.
“There are such a lot of issues that we are able to do to be a part of our neighborhood,” Wedman says. “As we’re already discovering, working with Elizabeth [Anderson], who’s the Director of Music for the Pals of Music at St. Thomas — they work with youngsters who can’t afford music classes. We additionally reached out to the YWCA.”
Cristina researched numerous charities, and was impressed with the YWCA and their applications. “They have already got the sense of neighborhood,” she says. Along with the Concord Is In Our Fingers live performance, each musicians might be acting at a memorial vigil for the Montreal bloodbath on the identical day.
The Music
The music of the Baroque interval might be featured on the live performance collection. “We’re each Baroque violinists, and we love the music a lot,” Costa says.
“Baroque music was designed and was written to create a shared connection and shared feelings with an viewers,” Wedman provides. “The purpose is to precise issues that folks can relate to. We each discover that so enticing concerning the expertise, and enjoying the music. There’s such a robust reference to our audiences. It’s very rewarding,” she says.
“The medium itself permits for so many creativity.” As Julia factors out, throughout the Baroque interval, composers sometimes didn’t embody dynamics and different particulars of their notation, leaving these as much as the performers. “And that artistic flexibility within the music is what we love about it, but in addition what enhances the connection to audiences.”
Each time they play it, the efficiency might be barely completely different. “We do one thing that’s private,” Wedman provides. “We name it the period of the performer-composer.” What’s on the web page is simply a part of the efficiency.
“It’s very artistic and spontaneous.”
Costa factors out one other facet of Baroque music that matches the spirit of Concord is in Our Fingers. “On the time, the Baroque period, concert events weren’t, as we all know now, in a live performance corridor.” They befell in quite a lot of areas, together with house settings. “We additionally needed to point out that in our concert events.”
Future concert events within the collection might happen at completely different halls, venues, and maybe faculties.
“It’s only a neighborhood gathering,” Cristina says.
“We needed to have a extra open ended strategy,” Julia says. That can entail completely different ranges of ritual too.
Performers
Soprano Hélène Brunet is a welcome collaborator. “We love her,” each ladies say.
“We’ve labored together with her quite a bit over the previous few years,” Wedman notes. That features performances by way of L’Harmonie des saisons, a vocal and interval instrument ensemble based mostly in Québec’s Jap Townships. “We’ve labored together with her, and gotten to know her, by way of that group,” she explains. “She’s only a type and great human being.”
It made her the proper match for the upcoming live performance. Wedman says that’s what she’s searching for when it comes to collaborators. “No. 1, they’re unimaginable human beings, then they’re additionally good musicians.”
She mentions harpsichordist Avi Stein, who teaches continuo accompaniment, vocal repertoire, and chamber music at Juilliard. He’s additionally the organist and chorusmaster at Trinity Church in New York.
“He’s a beautiful musician.”
Oboist Marco Cera is a member of Toronto’s Tafelmusik. Mélisande Corriveau, who’ll play viola da gamba and cello, is the co-Creative Director of L’Harmonie des saisons. “She’s simply an unimaginable famous person,” Wedman says.
Violist Matt Antal has a twin profession. “He additionally occurs to be an unimaginable recording engineer
in addition to an unimaginable musician,” Julia notes.
“All had been very passionate about collaborating,” Cristina provides.
“It’s good that we’ve had a lot assist,” Wedman continues. These names might present up in future occasions.
The Program
“Cristina and I’ve this group that we began a few years in the past, it’s referred to as Gentileschi Baroque,” Julia says. “I felt very strongly that there wasn’t sufficient weight in live performance applications on feminine composers.” The ensemble, in truth, is known as after famed Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi.
Their mandate consists of an effort at making the names of feminine composers of the Baroque rather more generally recognized.
“All people is aware of Bach and Handel,” Wedman says.
Élisabeth Claude Jacquet de La Guerre (1665 – 1729) was a French harpsichordist and composer. “She was an unimaginable French Baroque composer. Even within the Baroque world, lots of people don’t know her music,” Julia factors out. Certainly one of her trios might be on this system.
Mrs Philharmonica is one other composer who’s work might be carried out. The English composer wrote underneath the enigmatic pseudonym, and left a legacy of a number of revealed works relationship from about 1715. “No person is aware of who she is. She sounds a bit like Corelli,” Wedman explains. “She was a composer in London, and her music was revealed in a subscription. However no one is aware of her actual identify,” she provides.
“We’ll play a trio additionally by Isabella Leonardo.” A nun, Leonardo lived in Novara, Italy, from 1620 to 1704. “[Her music is] very vibrant and interesting.”
The deal with ladies composers doesn’t essentially exclude the higher recognized work of males. “We’ll in fact play some Handel,” Wedman provides.
“I believe within the music too, we wish to make it possible for underneath represented composers are represented,” Julia explains.
She recollects enjoying a live performance in Hamilton with Hammer Baroque the place your entire program got here from feminine composers that the viewers had by no means heard of. “We had such a tremendous viewers response to that live performance,” Julia says. The musicians launched the composers and their works, in addition to enjoying them. “It was actually eye opening.”
Cristina says they’re already eager about the subsequent live performance, and that they’re open to concepts.
“The opposite factor is that that is the beginning of one thing,” Wedman provides. “We’ve many concepts, however I’ve the sensation that that is the beginning of an journey.”
- Discover particulars and tickets for the December 6 live performance [HERE].
- Discover out extra about Concord is in Our Fingers [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is the Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. Beforehand, she was a contract author with a specialty in tradition and journey for 3 a long time, and a artistic writing teacher for Ontariolearn.
