REVIEWS
CD: “Fasch Orchestral Works, Volume 2”
…now a decade old, Tempesta is one of America’s great period-instrument bands
“This is the second disc of Fasch released by Chandos with Tempesta di Mare, the Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra. I reviewed the first in Fanfare 32:1, noting that Tempesta “deliver(s) the goods with grace, energy, and elegance” in “performances that are fresh, vibrant, and spontaneous.” This release continues the tradition; it is full of vitality and elegance, not to mention a stylishness that is difficult to equal, let along surpass. The recordings are actual concert performances from 2010 and 2011 and are cloaked in the wonderful sonic aura of the Presbyterian Church, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Now a decade old, Tempesta is one of America’s great period-instrument bands. They are regular visitors to American Public Media’s Performance Today, heard nationwide on NPR, and both of their recordings should be a part of your collection.” Fanfare 35:4, March/April 2012.
CD Pick of the Week, Classical WETA (Washington) — week of January 2. WETA, January 2012.
…nobody does it finer than Tempesta di Mare
“Philly Classics: Boasting frothy melody lines and intimate orchestrations, Baroque-era chamber music is the perfect entry drug to the world of classical. And nobody does it finer than the 22-member-strong Tempesta di Mare, the Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra. Just out, their premiere recording of “Orchestral Works, Volume 2” (A) by Johann Friedrich Fasch, an 18th-century Germanic court composer whose work bore such kinship to the better-known Georg Philipp Telemann that Fasch could pass his off as the other’s, just for fun. Several local foundations—Pew, William Penn, Beneficia and the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia—helped in making this sparkling, high-resolution recording, captured at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill.” — week of January 2. Philadelphia Daily News, January 2012.
CD Pick of the Week, Classical WETA (Washington) — week of January 2. WETA, January 2012.
5 Stars
“Not that music history here should strive to become a sporting event, and by no means do the musicians from Philadelphia simply aim to register a score for Fasch — their recording reflects the enthusiasm for an unrecognized work, which they now introduce with pithiness, freshness, and sensitivity. Tempesta di Mare proves spectacularly how richly-colored one can play on baroque instruments. The worthy booklet accompanying the second Fasch CD von Tempesta di Mare makes this a wonderful present for those people who are convinced they have heard everything already, and who will most certainly be in for a surprise: about a wrongly forgotten composer, and about a splendidly tight baroque ensemble from the New World.” — Music & Interpretation: 5 Stars — Codaex (Germany), December 2011.
CD of the Week, MDR Figaro (Germany)
“Tempesta di Mare is an ensemble of experts, and the musicians encounter this Fasch with pleasing serenity — without exaggerated tempi, without overreaching ambitions of the soloists. Instead they keep a beautiful balance, which suits the overall performance of these concerti and orchestral suites, and relishes in the equal treatment of sound registers and the exploration of the utmost possible color-wheel. It is wonderful to learn that there are, in far away lands, people who have seriously immersed themselves in Central Germany’s culture and history, and who are now making valuable contributions to its exploration and development. I recommend this CD of Tempesta di Mare from Philadelphia.” MDR-Figaro (Central German Radio, broadcast review for MDR CD of the Week), December 2011.
…lively and inspired
CD of the Week — “The playing of Fasch on this CD by the musicians of Tempesta di Mare is exceptionally lively and inspired, which makes you yearn for more.” MDR-Figaro (Central German Radio, website review), December 2011.
…palpible energy that only comes from enjoyment of the familiar
“As I have written previously in these pages, Tempesta di Mare is one of the world’s leading exponents of Fasch’s music; for the past few seasons, they have devoted whole concerts to giving modern day premieres of works from the famous collection in Dresden. For the present recording, they have selected two concertos, an overture suite that combines dance movements and more abstract “arias”, and one of Fasch’s four-movement sinfonias. The range of musical ideas is enormous, and illustrates the oft-quoted notation that Fasch was some sort of bridge between the Baroque and the early Classical styles—certainly his use of wind instruments to colour textures is novel for the period. Throughout the disc, the performances are first rate—from the gloriously rich opening of the Violin Concerto with its pairs of horns, flutes, oboes and bassoons, through to the end of the G major concerto “per molti stromenti” there is a palpible energy that only comes from enjoyment of the familiar. The disc is all the more remarkable for being taken from live performances. Start saving now for the projected Volume 3!” Early Music Review (UK), December 2011.
2011–2012 Series: “Italians in Vienna: cantatas and concertos with Michael Maniaci”
…consummate artistry
“Male soprano solid as a rock: The star of Tempesta di Mare’s Sunday afternoon concert was guest vocalist Michael Maniaci. In all three of the secular cantatas Sunday afternoon for an audience that nearly filled Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, he sang with consummate artistry, both technically and interpretively. Co-director Gwyn Roberts was joined by Eve Friedman for Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Two Flutes.” They delineated the first movement’s quick changes of mood, caught the elegant delicacy of the second movement, and the high spirits of the third through expertly balanced dynamics and rhythmic accents.” January 2. Chestnut Hill LOCAL, February 2012.
“Maniaci possesses a voice with the range of a female soprano and the color and fullness of a mezzo. It’s a rare gift, and he exploits it with an unforced naturalness that produced some of the most appealing vocal music I’ve heard. The program’s instrumental pieces were just as good as the cantatas. The opening number, Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Flutes in D, introduced the festivities with a Vivaldian rush. Richard Stone’s guitar added a rustic touch to the surge, and duets for the two flutes, played by Gwyn Roberts and Eve Friedman, contrasted with passages for the whole ensemble. The two flutists engaged in some witty, cheerful dialogue in a 1749 trio by Niccolo Jommelli while Eve Miller added the cello’s own style of jauntiness. Miller commanded the stage during the solos in her biggest moment, a cello concerto by Antonio Caldera, and Ngai and Fox engaged in some especially spirited interchanges in a trio sonata by Joseph Fux.” Broad Street Review, February 2012.
“For years, Tempesta di Mare has liberated its programs from the masterpiece mentality that often comes with higher-budget organizations. At Sunday’s concert at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, hardly a brand-name composer (excepting Antonio Vivaldi) or a previously known piece was heard. Tempesta di Mare is an old-music group that acts like a new-music group, by pushing the cutting edge back rather than forward. Performance-wise, the primary attraction at Sunday’s Italians in Vienna program was Michael Maniaci. There was a wonderful clarity to his passagework, and at every turn, his sympathy for the music ran deep, with a wonderful sense for shaping recitatives and making an aria phrase land with grace and confidence. As for the repertoire, the cantata “Perché son molli” had an airborne lyricism that reminded you how great Vivaldi can be.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 2012
2011–2012 Series: “Leipzig Shortlist: Telemann, Fasch, Graupner or Bach”
…exemplary technical mastery, interpretive integrity and stylish panache
“As it has done over the decade of its life, Tempesta di Mare performed a program [Leipzig Shortlist] that not only proved an historical point but that also proffered a series of musical delights. Fasch’s Concerto for Lute in D minor, Telemann’s Quatour VI in E minor, Graupner’s “Entrata per musica di tavola” and Fasch’s Concerto for Recorder in F major may not have proved themselves the equals of Bach’s Concerto for Harpsichord in F minor throughout the passage of the centuries, but all four are scores worthy of far more frequent hearing than they’re given nowadays. Fasch’s two concerti, in particular, offer lively rhythms, captivating melodies, elegant scorings and inventive harmonies. The Telemann is a fascinating display of a German composer taking on French styles. The Bach Harpsichord Concerto, of course, stole the show. It did so first of all because it’s a concise masterpiece of structure and color, and second, because Tempesta’s resident harpsichordist, Adam Pearl, gave it a superb rendition. In truth, the entire concert was performed with exemplary technical mastery, interpretive integrity and stylish panache. Gwyn Roberts was particularly noteworthy as the recorder soloist in the Fasch, as was lutenist Richard Stone in the other Fasch. And the strings played beautifully in the Telemann.” Chestnut Hill LOCAL, December 2011.
2011–2012 Series: “Tempesta Turns Ten: fanfares, suites and a birthday symphony”
…period instruments concert on Hill the best ever
“Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, opened its 10th anniversary season with a concert Sunday afternoon in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. The program of music composed by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Friedrich Fasch, William Boyce, Antonio Vivaldi and Jean-Philippe Rameau drew an enthusiastic crowd that showered the period-instrument musicians with round after round of applause. The program was particularly well constructed. It revealed both the breadth and depth of the baroque style of the 17th and early 18th centuries. Vivaldi was Italian, Rameau was French, Boyce was English, and Bach and Fasch were German. Each brought both his own personal as well as national style to the music he composed, yet all five composers shared a common musical language of counterpoint drawn from the Renaissance. Most impressive of all was the series of renditions given all these marvelous scores by the largest ensemble ever assembled by Tempesta di Mare’s co-founders and co-directors Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone. During the decade since its creation, Tempesta has developed into the finest period instruments ensemble in Greater Philadelphia, and Sunday afternoon’s concert was the best I’ve ever heard the group present. What worked most to elevate this particular concert was the level of ensemble. The strings—all strung with temperamental gut—were flawlessly blended and balanced. The woodwind choir of pairs of flutes, oboes and bassoons—all actually made of wood—were immaculately tuned and elegantly matched. The playing of brass choir of trumpets and horns was powerfully projected and securely ranged. And the timpani playing of Michelle Humphreys added just the right amount of thunder. Happy birthday, Tempesta di Mare! And here’s hoping there will be many more to come.” Chestnut Hill LOCAL, October 2011.
“Happy 10th, Tempesta: lots of players, delight at baroque chamber group’s grand celebration — Tempesta di Mare threw itself a grand 10th birthday party last weekend, with a record-high assemblage of musicians—usually 25 were onstage, wind, brass, and all. That’ll galvanize audiences, in a move as tactically intelligent as it was celebratory: musicians take charge of their own promotion (who else will these days?). And with it came one of the group’s most successful musical reclamations. Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Les Fetes de Polymnie, whose neglect is clearly a cosmic mistake, was written for a special occasion—a major minus, since occasion works become immediately dated. But Tempesta’s suite of dances avoided the opera’s perhaps creaky allegorical plot and revealed a score so inventive, colorful, and overstuffed as to be delightfully subversive. Most baroque-era composers expressed their individuality in the music’s inner workings. Rameau did so in ways that made the outer formalities burst at the seams, especially in this piece. Melodies sometimes sound like his predecessor, Jean-Baptiste Lully, played backward. Bass lines had minds of their own and were often irritable. Numerous phrases had an extra two- or three-note appendix—a slap at the dictatorial symmetry that was often a part of this musical world. As a Ramist over many decades, I had barely heard the title of this piece, much less the music. This may be the single most marvelous discovery of Tempesta’s decade—thanks to cofounders Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone. William Boyce’s Symphony in A (Op. 2 No. 2) was ingratiating, as was Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins, which had a strong musical kinship to The Four Seasons but with all sorts of quadruple effects that come with having so many soloists.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 2011.
“Celebrate good (Baroque) times — Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, celebrated its tenth anniversary with a program that opened with a fanfare for the Ark of the Covenant and ended with a ballet suite toasting France’s only victorious battle during the 18th Century. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s Fanfare for the Ark opened the fête with three Baroque natural trumpets in full voice, boosted by Michelle Humphrey’s resonant work on the tympani. Horns, reed and strings then joined the trumpets and timpani for an overture by Johann Friedrich Fasch that maintained the pace and volume. The opening of the Fasch provided a salutary reminder that 27 Baroque instruments can deliver a totally satisfying blast when they play in a hall comparable to the halls actually used in the Baroque era. The individual instruments may be quieter than modern instruments, but a full-size Baroque orchestra fits the scale of a venue like the Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church. The Fasch revival has been one of Tempesta’s major projects, and this overture contained the special touches—such as unusual blends of string, oboes and bassoons—that characterize Fasch’s work. Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins, the first half finale, contains some of Vivaldi’s liveliest music, and the four soloists for this performance—Emlyn Ngai, Karina Fox, Fran Berge and Rebecca Harris—performed feats of coordination Baroque style—that is, without a conductor—which must be the musical equivalent of doing high-wire acrobatics without a net. Rameau’s suite from [Les Fêtes de Polymnie] ended Tempesta’s party with a banquet of courtly pleasure music. Its charms included more outbursts from the trumpets and tympani; unexpected effects like passages for the oboe that ended with little slides on Ngai’s violin; and a driving, darkly thrumming processional for the whole orchestra that suggested the Turkish rhythms later popularized by Beethoven and other composers. Would that we could all celebrate our birthdays in such style.” Broad Street Review, October 2011.
On the Road: “Roman Nights” at the 2011 Indianapolis Early Festival
Four Stars
“The second of the six Early Music Festival programs featured only two composers: George Frideric Handel and Alessandro Scarlatti, more than sufficient to give us a sustained evening of high-quality Baroque music, both played and sung. Especially when presented by a Philadelphia group called Tempesta di Mare, which impressed more than the Rebel group of two days earlier with their precision and balance. From Scarlatti, we heard two chamber cantatas, perhaps the two evening highlights: “Bella, s’io t’amo il sai,” with Rottsolk joined by Stone, Roberts and Miller, plus “Bella dama di nome Santa,” featuring all six performers. Rottsolk showed beautiful control with a pitch-perfect “white” voice occasionally embellished with vibrato at a phrase ending. Handel was represented by a concerto, a trio sonata and a chamber cantata of his own. Roberts offered dazzling recorder work, especially on her small, high-pitched instrument. On second thought, the entire evening presented nothing but highlights.” Nuvo, Indy’s alternative voice, June 2011.
Philly Region: Bach Trio Sonatas on the 2011 Philadelphia Bach Festival
“Rearranging the master — The second concert [in the Festival] provided another example of the scholarship, musical imagination, and performing skill that supports the best early music performances. Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone, directors of Tempesta di Mare, took six of Bach’s trio sonatas for organ and arranged them for different combinations of winds, strings, harpsichord and lute. Three of their arrangements were orchestrated for standard trio sonata ensembles such as violin, recorder and accompaniment. The fourth sonata, on the other hand, became a duet for lute and harpsichord, with Stone playing a bass part as well as a melody part on his lute, usually at the same time. Sonata Number Six became a mini-concerto for the high-pitched sopranino recorder, with Gwyn Roberts’s recorder pitted against two violins. It brought the evening to a dashing close. Baroque musicians routinely rearranged pieces and changed the instrumentation. Modern arrangements of their works require scholar-musicians steeped in a tradition that died 200 years ago and blessed with creativity and taste. The result in this case was a parade of variety and inventiveness that showcased the talents of Tempesta di Mare’s leading performers.” Broad Street Review, June 2011.
2010–2011 Series: “Telemann’s Ino — plus premieres by Fasch and Janitsch”
“The Saturday performance at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill was recorded live—the latest in Tempesta di Mare’s relationship with the Chandos label—and was worth preserving. The group, expanded to 25 or so musicians, was more than well-rehearsed; it had internalized the music. The performance revealed [Telemann’s Ino] narrative with admirable specificity and maintained a crackling energy even in moments that signified release in the dramatic tension—thus the final joyful aria, “Tönt in meinem Lobgesang,” which brought the audience to its feet. Other works on the program were discoveries made by Tempesta directors Richard Stone and Gwyn Roberts. Even as someone who has rarely warmed to Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758), I was taken with his Concerto for Orchestra in D, whose sumptuous scoring challenged every section of Tempesta di Mare, with concertmaster Emlyn Ngai acting as a musical beacon. Even more engaging was Overture Grosso in G by Johann Gottlieb Janitsch (1708-63) for an unevenly divided double orchestra, each side taking turns leading the other, but changing the other’s ideas to suit their respective sizes.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2011.
“Tempesta di Mare ended its ninth season with three pieces that illustrate the combination of scholarship and musicianship that maintains the liveliness and unpredictability of today’s early music scene. The evening’s main event, Telemann’s Ino cantata, was so passionate that at times I thought Laura Heimes must be singing in Italian, not German. Heimes gave the piece an all-out treatment, immersing herself in the characters as if playing a full-dress opera instead of a cantata. The program’s first item, a Concerto for Orchestra by Johann Friedrich Fasch, repeated a piece that Tempesta has played before as part of its continuing revival of Fasch’s work. Horn passages, jaunty violin interludes and interplays between the strings and the flute create a stream of music that rushes toward an end all too soon. Tempesta di Mare’s audiences heard [Johann Gottlieb Janitch's Ouverture Grosso for double orchestra’s] first performances since the Baroque era. For his Ouverture Grosso, Janitsch divided his orchestra into two units and produced a real-life stereo effect, with the violins in each section answering each other across the hall. Tempesta’s musicians produced the quality performances their audiences have come to expect. Concertmaster Emlyn Ngai handled several solo passages for violin with his usual flair. But the scene-stealers on this outing were the horn players, Todd Williams and Aleks Ozolins. The valveless natural horn is one of the most difficult instruments a musician can take up, but its presence adds a distinctively Baroque sound that makes it worth the trouble. The evening ended with the feel-good conclusion to Telemann’s above-mentioned Ino. Neptune arrives in a rush of musical pageantry, complete with horns, and turns the title character into an immortal. And the whole orchestra, with the horns once again prominent, creates a vision of the paradise in which Ino will spend eternity.” Broad Street Review, May 2011.
On the Road: “Der fantastische Herr Fasch” in Germany — our first orchestral tour
“Sensational end to 2011 Fasch-Festtage’s first week — The Philadelphia-based baroque orchestra Tempesta di Mare underlined the fact that they are utterly devoted to Fasch’s music in the Catherinen-Saal in Zerbst tonight with an often breath-taking programme that consisted purely of his works, including two that had not been heard anywhere in Europe since the 18th century. Only once at a previous Fasch-Festtage have I been really excited to hear Fasch’s music. When the Sonatori della Gioiosa Marca gave us an Italian take on his oeuvre, it was so different to the normal German take—there was a sparkle and an energy to their performances; it was somehow like re-discovering why I love baroque music. The 18 musicians of Tempesta di Mare gave me precisely that sensation tonight, too—they didn’t just play the notes, they really got under Fasch’s skin and sought out nuances of phrasing that have evaded many a “more famous” ensemble (in these parts, at least). Word among those of the audience who actually knew anything about music and performance was that, quite simply, this was the best Fasch they had ever heard in all the years of the Zerbst Festtage. The Kantor of the Bartholomäikirche was particularly impressed by the way they brought the music to life. Four winners of the Fasch Prize of the City of Zerbst (people honoured by the city for their work on the composer and his music) were absolutely in agreement. That is hardly surprising, though; Tempesta di Mare already have one very successful CD of Fasch’s orchestral music under their belt and are preparing a second; they’ve given several concerts of his music in the States; it is repertoire they love playing, and it is self-evident from their performances! From the intimacy of the lute concerto (with co-director Richard Stone as soloist, accompanied by a reduced band), through the drama and excitement of a slightly sinister-sounding sinfonia (directed by principle violinist Emlyn Ngai), to two large concertos and an overture suite (featuring the other co-director Gwyn Roberts on 1st flute), there was not a fault in the entire evening.” The Prima la musica! blog, April 2011.
“In a spectacular concert, which was completely dedicated to music by Johann Friedrich Fasch, Tempesta di Mare, a baroque orchestra from Philadelphia, presented characteristic works by this master. The ensemble, one of the leading interpreters of Fasch internationally, performs without a conductor, per the historical practice of baroque music. This concert was led by concertmaster Emlyn Ngai, who also played the solo part in the Concerto in D Major. He mastered the part with brilliance and pure intonation. But the violin was not the only instrument to take a solo turn. In the program’s three concerti, the baroque lute and the woodwinds were also active as important concertante performers. The musical exchanges between the ever-prominent soloists and the powerful, very precise and yet subtly lyrical full orchestra, was characteristic of the concerto grosso genre. This was especially so in the Concerto in D Minor for lute and strings, with its chamber music-like interplay in which the delicate sounds of the lute alternated with the powerful interjections of the strings and harpsichord. Lutenist Richard Stone gave a positively lyrical performance, pulling off even the most technically difficult passages with wonderful, playful ease. The Sinfonia in G Minor included a particularly effective contrast between the dramatic, forward-looking first movement, and the gentle, mellifluous second movement, with its downright comforting melody. The musicians’ precise playing showed the Suite in A Minor’s ouverture to full advantage, with the dance movements very effectively played. The audience thanked the guests from Philadelphia with long, heartfelt applause. The Michaelstein Abbey Association succeeded once again with this concert in making a valuable contribution to the musical life of our region.” Die Volksstimme, Magdeburg, April 2011.
2010–2011 Series: “Characters of the Dance — Bach’s First Orchestral Suite and the dances that inspired it”
Tempesta di Mare’s imaginative co-directors based their Characters of the Dance program on an inspired theme. They preceded Bach’s First Orchestral Suite with two pieces that contained examples of the baroque dances that Bach elaborated in the suite. The program’s first half illustrated the dances with a ballet score by the French court composer Jean-Féry Rebel and a suite by Johann Friedrich Fasch—the long-lost Baroque composer Tempesta di Mare has been reviving. The Rebel is a hyperactive tour de force that runs through 12 dance forms in a single nonstop movement. The Fasch suite, like the Bach, is an entry in a Baroque tradition of orchestral pieces based on French dance music. Tempesta gave it a reading that included a properly sprightly bouree; a nervous, lively hornpipe; and a minuet that emphasized that form’s courtly, processional qualities. Good as these pieces were, you knew the program had jumped to a higher league as soon you heard the first notes of the Bach suite. Modern orchestras sometimes make the first suite sound smooth and bland. Tempesta’s baroque instruments emphasized the contrasts between the different sections and produced a performance in which you could hear every voice all the time. Tempesta combined the polyphony with lively tempos and interpretations that highlighted each dance’s special personality. The result was a spellbinder that held your attention from the first note to the final chord. I was especially charmed by the trio in Bach’s minuet movement. [Concertmaster] Emlyn Ngai, principal second violin Karina Fox, and principal viola Daniella Giulia Pierson created a touching, gently romantic interlude. But the trio was just one event in a stream of pleasures. The entire company turned in one of the best performances of the first suite I’ve heard, from the oboes at the top of the score through the all-important foundation supplied by bass player Anne Peterson. The second half included two Fasch pieces that departed from the dance theme: a four-movement sinfonia and a fugue excerpted from a suite. Fasch was an innovator whose music often foreshadows the romantic opuses of the 19th Century, and the sinfonia opens with a massive orchestral thump thump thump that immediately bounces you out of the 18th century’s aesthetics. It isn’t Beethoven, but Beethoven’s obviously waiting in the wings. The fugue ended the afternoon with a piece that proved Fasch shared Bach’s zest for all the complex possibilities created by the human brain’s ability to hear several sounds simultaneously. Broad Street Review, March 2011.
2010–2011 Series: “Roman Nights — cantatas and concertos by Handel and Scarlatti”
Early-music groups are in the business of attracting audiences to music they didn’t know they were missing. So the question at last weekend’s Tempesta di Mare concerts was what sort of keys can unlock the demure, even obscure artistic sensibility of Alessandro Scarlatti, a giant in 18th-century Rome but one whose output is like a vast lost continent. The fact that Scarlatti wrote 700-plus cantatas suggests they weren’t meant for repeated hearings and thus don’t ask to enter one’s memory. Therefore performers must mine the music for all it can deliver in the moment. Tempesta ultimately succeeded, both on Sunday and on its new Chandos-label disc, Alessandro Scarlatti: Cantatas and Chamber Music. An essential ingredient is soprano Clara Rottsolk, a relative newcomer to the Philadelphia music community and one with exactly the kind of vocal charisma this music needs. The voice combines the best aspects of the pinpoint, low-vibrato accuracy of Julianne Baird and the dark-timbred, more generalized approach of Montserrat Figueras. Though some baroque specialists use the music like heightened speech, Rottsolk integrated text into a longer phrase that, thanks to her considerable coloristic resources, went beyond surface articulation and into the text’s meaning. The exterior was suave and composed. The interior had dynamicism—partly because co-artistic director Richard Stone’s contributions on archlute seemed to consciously create dramatic signposts in music that can too easily fall into sameness. Philadelphia Inquirer, January 2011.
The church’s main sanctuary was nearly filled by local music-lovers eager to hear a select ensemble of chamber players from Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, perform instrumental and vocal music by George Frideric Handel and Alessandro Scarlatti. Both the beauty and sophistication of the Roman musical scene during the early decades of the 18th century were efficaciously revived by Tempesta’s internationally acclaimed musicians. The concert got off to a lovely start with Scarlatti’s Sonata in C. The overall sound proffered by Tempesta’s six instrumentalists was ravishingly beautiful. The tone was delicately sweet and the texture was bracingly clear, allowing for eloquently turned phrases and elegantly suave voicings. The two instrumental works by Handel were played with equal technical polish and interpretive passion. A darker, more introspective mood was delineated throughout [his] Concerto No. 3, with the Sarabande receiving a particularly touching rendition. The performance given the Trio Sonata presented a broader spectrum of colors and emotions. The opening Larghetto was smoothly lyrical, the second movement Allegro was tautly muscular, the third movement Adagio was gently intimate and the closing Allegro bristled with rhythmic panache. Throughout all three instrumental scores, the playing was exemplary. Ensemble and balance immaculate, but even more importantly the music sang with emotional connection and commitment. These last few seasons have seen and heard Tempesta di Mare rise to the highest level of period performance. And the ensemble never sounds better than it does in Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church. Chestnut Hill Local, January 2011.
Handel traveled to Rome because Baroque Italy was a center of musical development. The Tempesta di Mare concert presented sonatas and cantatas he wrote in Rome and works by Scarlatti that he would have heard. Clara Rottsolk possesses a soprano voice with the coloring of a mezzo—an ideal choice for music that was probably composed for male altos. The cantatas she sang would have been performed in 18th-century drawing rooms and princely halls—settings that would be more relaxed and informal than modern concert halls. Rottsolk’s voice and expressive delivery successfully recreated that atmosphere for a modern ticket-buying audience seated in orderly rows. The three instrumental pieces on the program all opened with mood-setting slow movements, but they included their share of livelier interludes. Anyone who thinks fugues are formal exercises should listen to the spirited fiddling by Emlyn Ngai that introduced the fugal movement in Scarlatti’s Sonata in C. The musical pleasures Messrs. Handel and Scarlatti crammed into their creations included appealing sonorities for voice, strings, and winds; a duet that violinists Ngai and Karina Fox played with appropriate flair; a gentle pastoral solo for recorder that opened the evening; and the customary moments when the harpsichord and the cello support the soloists with a well timed flourish. Broad Street Review, January 2011.
2010–2011 Series: “The Royal Concert — Couperin’s private music for the King of France”
The concert drew an audience that literally packed the church and that enthusiastically rewarded the eight chamber players of the orchestra with hearty and heart-warming applause. It was unlikely that there was another concert dedicated solely the music of Francois Couperin in all of America, let alone one that drew a full house. The fact that this concert did so and did so not in center city but in Chestnut Hill is a testament to Tempesta di Mare’s success in building a faithful and trusting audience and Chestnut Hillers’ willingness to branch out beyond the traditional standard repertoire. Tempesta di Mare’s concert opened with harpsichordist Adam Pearl playing Les Baricades Mystérieuses. Pearl played with such unaffected artistry that one couldn’t help but marvel at Couperin’s ability to strike so beautiful a nostalgic chord from so many centuries ago and [made me] wish that Tempesta di Mare programs more frequently provided the chance to hear more solo playing from this member of the ensemble. Couperin composed two major works based on the “affection” of being the nation of France: one a sonata divided into seven characteristic movements and the other a Suite divided into seven movements based on popular dances of the era. The former, for a smaller ensemble, revealed an expressive intimacy that has characterized all the French arts for centuries while the latter, for fuller forces, dramatically projected Couperin’s gift for the grand gesture. The playing here, as it was throughout the concert, was elegantly phrased, superbly balanced, broadly emotional yet structurally secure. While it may be true that the Germans—Bach and Handel—and the Italians—Corelli and Vivaldi—were the everlasting titans of the baroque, it’s equally true that the French—Couperin and Rameau—had their own distinctive voices and that all are worth hearing. Chestnut Hill Local, December 2010.
Some people spend Sunday reading the New York Times. Louis XIV summoned François Couperin and his court chamber players. One of the program’s highlights was the opportunity to hear solos by three musicians who normally occupy supporting roles: harpsichordist Adam Pearl, gamba player Sarah Cunningham and theorbo player Richard Stone. Pearl got the evening off to a good start with [Les Baricades Mystérieuses,] a rolling, sensuous piece. Stone soloed with a rondo that Louis’s court lutenist, Robert de Visee, arranged from a Couperin harpsichord piece, Les Sylvains (“the forest sprites”), and played it with an easy, natural style that fit the title and probably concealed a host of technical challenges. There was nothing flashy or showy about Sarah Cunningham’s solo turn [Pièces de Violes in E Minor], but you could see why the program notes emphasized its virtuoso nature if you watched her left hand maneuver across the strings of her gamba. Couperin avoided pointless display and placed technique at the service of art. Most of the pieces on the program teamed the continuo instruments with the voices of the wooden Baroque flute, the mellow Baroque oboe, and two Baroque violins. Gwyn Roberts’s flute sounded especially good. Oboist Debra Nagy added proper helpings of brightness and tenderness to the mix, and at times the flute-oboe sonorities provided the main attraction of a passage. Violinists Emlyn Ngai and Karina Fox made their usual contributions to the program’s overall grace. In one particularly attractive moment toward the end of the concert, the two winds and the two violins played a sweet passage that sounded like a duet for the two sections. The Sun King could be a real grade-A tyrant, but he was also a man of human foibles and virtues that inspire a kind of bemused affection. There’s much to be said for a guy who likes to lounge around on a sofa and listen to the music of Couperin. Broad Street Review, December 2010.
CD: “Alessandro Scarlatti Cantatas and Chamber Music”
Rottsolk’s voice is supple and stylish…the performances are unflaggingly attractive and reveal one beautifully crafted aria after another.” Gramophone, July 2010
“A splendid showcase for these eloquent and committed musicians.” International Record Review, May 2010
2009–2010 Series: “The Mixed Concerto”
“After some 290 years of existence, J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos would be expected to have found some sort of optimum manner of performance. And they seemed to until the last decade, when this music became a repertoire crossroads in the early music world. Each new group built on the strengths of the last, rendering once-classic recordings obsolete. Into this fray came the season finale of Tempesta di Mare’s Brandenburg year, in which all six of the concertos were played in juxtaposition with the composer’s like-minded contemporaries. One does need to be seriously grateful for the chance to be in the same room with the sort of intelligent, authentic-instrument performances heard Saturday at St. Mark’s Church. Take the small, strange sixth Brandenburg, for example. Without violins, winds, or catchy tunes (at least until the final movement), the concerto can seem startlingly gray. Tempesta di Mare achieved a lean, cutting sonority with a wiry string tone that more readily drew your ear into the piece’s inner workings. The scintillating Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 ended the concert with generously full sonority — and a happy audience. Though programming alongside Bach always risks unflattering comparison, Georg Philipp Telemann and the little-known Evaristo Felice Dall’Abaco more than held their own, that last composer having a Vivaldi-esque taste for emphatic musical ideas. Though Tempesta di Mare has championed little-known baroque composers, the greater rehabilitation achievement has been with Telemann, thanks to often revelatory choices from the composer’s vast output. Suite in G, for example, has seven movements that seem to hail from completely different pieces — all of them leaving you wanting more. Double Concerto in E minor has a lovely pizzicato movement that showed soloists Emlyn Ngai (violin) and Gwyn Roberts (flute) making the most of their musical spotlights.” Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2010.
2009–2010 Series: “Zelenka’s Lamentations for Holy Week”
“Tempesta di Mare performed Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Lamentations of Jeremiah Friday night, March 26, in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. Tempesta’s directors Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone divided the six [cantatas] to make two equal halves of an intriguing and enlightening program. The six sets of specific “Lamentations” themselves throb with heart-breaking melancholy and despair while the closing text of each individual cantata—“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God”—burst forth with the joy of the eternal hope that characterizes both Judaism and Christianity. Tempesta di Mare fielded a roster of musicians that included 13 instrumentalists and three vocalists. Best of the latter group was tenor Aaron Sheehan. He invested his singing with an appreciation of and identification with the external denotation and internal connotation of the text, and proffered a tone of mellow beauty and impassioned phrasing. Among the players, Gwyn Roberts and Eve Friedman on flutes and recorder, Debra Nagy and Stephen Bard on oboes, and Marilyn Boenau on bassoon were especially deserving of praise.” Chestnut Hill Local, March 2010.
“Tempesta di Mare, the baroque big band, aimed at polar exploration in its Holy Week concerts last weekend, performing Zelenka’s Lamentations of Jeremiah at Protestant and Catholic churches (Chestnut Hill Presbyterian and Old St. Joseph’s). Zelenka probes all this seriousness with a heightened sense of instrumental expressiveness. Oboes, flutes, and bassoon infuse the rich writing for strings to wreathe the vocal lines with subtle and bold comment on the text. Zelenka sounds new. His turn of phrase, his harmonic forthrightness and his elegant architecture lead listeners around some intriguing corners. Should lamenting offer that much pleasure? How to atone for the glow felt at the end of each work? The singers exemplified flexibility, clarity and minimal vibrato, virtues that heightened expressive range. Cool voices with searing messages. The ensemble is a marvel of shared leadership. The violin may lead for a moment, then an oboist guides a shift until theorbo guru and co-director Richard Stone mounts a rhythmic and color charge into new territory in music’s polar divide. Zelenka could not help winning new friends here.” Philadelphia Inquirer, March, 2010.
On the Road: “From Venice to Leipzig” in Birmingham, AL
“Independent Presbyterian Church concluded its annual Religious Arts Festival with a fiery performance by Tempesta di Mare. Titled “Venice to Leipzig,” the program featured high Baroque selections by Bach, Telemann, and Vivaldi, and a couple of surprises from Johann Jacob Walther and Francesco Maria Veracini. Tempesta di Mare performed with precision and passion. The undisputed musical and spiritual force behind their success was recorder player and flutist Gwyn Roberts. Her intricate ornaments were textbook early music practice, but her passionate style perhaps broke with early music code. So much of the sheer joy of Tempesta di Mare is listening to Roberts’ beautiful, rich tone and brilliant passage work, and the manner in which those and every other weapon in her arsenal are put in musical service. Roberts had plenty of help from the four other members of the consort, and all of it on her par. Violinist Emlyn Ngai deserves high praise for his tender, nuanced performance of Walther’s Aria XIV. Lutenist Richard Stone and harpsichordist Adam Pearl turned in a light and breezy performance of Suite in A Major, a piece Bach adapted from a work by Sylvius Leopold Weiss. Stone and Pearl also deserve recognition for their artistry in realizing the continuo parts. Eve Miller anchored the ensemble and helped keep the composite sound light and athletic.” The Birmingham News, February, 2010.
On the Road: “Concerto alla Veneziana” in Baltimore, MD
“The first nice thing was the turnout. It was encouraging to see so many folks on hand in Towson University’s large concert hall. (Pro Musica usually holds forth in the center’s more intimate venue.) The second nice thing was having Philadelphia’s excellent Tempesta di Mare participate on this occasion with Pro Music Rara members, which resulted in a hefty sound and some hot music-making. Highlights included Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, with a finale at a presto speed that found the players maintaining admirable transparency and producing a good deal of color. A similar application of zip and expressive bite characterized the G minor Concerto da chiesa by Johann Georg Pisendel, one of the many gifted baroque composers who have been largely obscured by Bach and other other big guys. Violinist Emlyn Ngai gave a terrific account of the solo part in that piece, his tone sure and his phrasing animated by dynamic nuance. The afternoon also featured stylish solo contributions from Gwyn Roberts (recorder) and Stephen Bard (oboe). Throughout the concert, lutenist Richard Stone and harpsichordist Adam Pearl provided supple support. Given Tempesta di Mare’s Baltimore connections—Roberts and Stone teach at Peabody, for example—it would be cool if the group could team up with Pro Musica for a program each season.” Baltimore Sun, January, 2010.
2009–2010 Series: “Concerto alla Veneziana”
“Overflow audience thrills to Bach concert — Tempesta di Mare continued its season-long survey of Bach’s six “Brandenburg” Concerti Friday night in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. The concert drew an audience that packed the church’s main sanctuary – as well as overflowed its parking lot. Tempesta was joined by Baltimore’s Pro Musica Rara. People throughout the church swayed and bounced along with the music, obviously enjoying its every note, phrase and rhythm. Not at all surprising considering the energetic aplomb with which it was played. Texture was admirably transparent and phrasing was enhanced by a gentle rubato.” Chestnut Hill Local, January, 2010.
2009–2010 Series: “The Chamber Concerto”
“Not one just to play Bach’s masterpieces, Tempesta in its Brandenburg series contextualizes the music within like-minded works from Bach’s time—a great practice with any repertoire. Even minor figures show how differently creative minds reflected their time. In fact, Bach’s already considerable stature, as represented by Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, was emphasized in the program’s context. What amazingly lean, dense music it is, with many potentially ill-fitting elements incorporated into logic that lets everything be all it can be. The first movement’s famously long harpsichord episode seemed wildly extravagant—and was played by Adam Pearl with virtuosity and daringly original tempo changes that felt fresh and right. Besides being fully polished, the Bach performance had an exceptional sense of chamber-music interplay between violinist Emlyn Ngai and flutist Gwyn Roberts (Tempesta co-founder). Both outdid themselves, Roberts playing with great security (especially in Graupner’s Suite in F) and Ngai handling the dance rhythms not as a restrictive means of order, but more lightly, as an emphatic highlight in a continuous musical line, particularly in Pachelbel’s Partie a 4. If you squinted a bit, you could imagine yourself in New York City’s Corpus Christi Church, home of the Music Before 1800 series—one of that city’s great musical assets and one in which an enterprising New York-caliber concert like this would be just one in a wide range of ensembles that encompass great musical centuries rarely represented in Philadelphia.” Philadelphia Inquirer, December 2009.
“You knew you were hearing Bach as soon as Tempesta launched into the bounce and drive of the first movement of the Fifth Brandenburg. Tempesta produced one of the best performances of the Fifth Brandenburg that any Baroque enthusiast will ever hear. The flute, violin, and harpsichord occupy the center of the stage in the Fifth, and Roberts, Ngai and harpsichordist Adam Pearl all delivered stellar performances. The harpsichord solo in the first movement is a wonderful example of 18th-Century schmaltz, with flashy runs and fancy embellishments, and Pearl had a great time with a part that Bach must have written so he could indulge in some good natured showing-off. The second half made a nice postlude to the first-half fireworks, with concertos that featured both of Tempesta di Mare’s directors. Richard Stone’s instrument, the lute, speaks with a soft voice that puts it at a disadvantage when it plays the solo role in a concerto, but if you listened a little more closely than you normally would, you heard flawless finger work, rolling lute melodies and the distinctive mood created by one of the most refined instruments human beings have fabricated. Gwyn Roberts switched to her other instrument, the recorder, for a suite for soloist and strings by Christoph Graupner. His Suite in F received a first-class performance that added a perfect final touch to one of Tempesta’s best concerts.” Broad Street Review, December, 2009.
2009-2010 Series: “Concerto en Suite”
“Performances were imposing and forthright, eschewing the polite tidiness of many baroque groups. Tempesta maintained a bit of unruliness that was more than an attractive counterweight to the music’s innate formality. The horns came through with the magnetic tension that comes from doing so much with a seemingly primitive set of circular pipes.” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 2009.
On the Road: “Madame Levy’s Salon” in Germany
“The ensemble Tempesta di Mare from Philadelphia/USA demonstrated how wonderful such dusted-off scores can sound to a virtually sold-out audience in the Muthaus at Burg Hardegsen. From the onset the crisp-playing musicians whisked away any preconceptions that the eighteenth century can only offer dry-sounding fodder on which only moths would be happy to feed. There was, rather, the joy of discovery. Gwyn Roberts (flute), Emlyn Ngai (violin), Karina Fox (violin, viola) Eve Miller (cello), Richard Stone (theorbo) and Adam Pearl (harpsichord) set a highlight through their tight ensemble playing, technical virtuosity and interpretively lucid music making. The American ensemble also demonstrated masterful creative will.” Göttinger Tageblatt (Germany), May 2009.
“In Madame Levy’s Salon, the captivated audience was treated to a ravishing aural glimpse into the distinctive formal language and cheerful melodicism of the High Baroque’s ‘Berlin School.’ In [Tempesta di Mare’s] hands, the music stormed and roared, laughed and bubbled over. Music became the very language of the sensitive heart and of the budding Rococo style. [The performers] cheefully balanced their scintillating music making on that eccentric ridge dividing the High Baroque and early Classical periods. They served up the shaded elegies of the Grave and Andante movements pleasurably and without sentimentality, at other times playing out the musical caprices like a ‘stadium wave’ and enjoying the ever-changing passions of this music to the full. With a twinkle in the eye and a mischievous smile, the musicians seemingly led the listener by the nose to expectation-defying outcomes. A downright captivating concert experience.” Cellesche Zeitung (Germany), May, 2009.
2008–2009 Series: “Aci, Galatea e Polifemo”
“Friday night heard the East Coast premiere of the complete Italian-language version of George Frideric Handel’s cantata, Aci, Galatea & Polifemo. Tempesta di Mare, with an 18-member period instrument orchestra and three vocal soloists, glittered with baroque ornamentation, shimmered with imaginative scoring, sparkled with vocal pyrotechnics, bristled with pulsating rhythmic vitality, and throbbed with heightened emotional expressivity. The orchestra played with technical polish and theatrical intensity, taking on a directly-involved role in the drama by sonically setting the stage and propelling the narrative through highly colored tones and lusciously phrased melodies. Soprano Clara Rottsolk was a romantic yet defiant Aci, faithful in his love for Galatea. In a role originally cast for a high castrato, Rottsolk sang with both fierce determination and eloquent lyricism. Mezzo Lorie Gratis was a forceful Galatea, unswerving in both her love for Aci and rejection of the monster Polifemo. Her voice resonated with secure projection and glowed with a lustrous warmth of tone. Baritone David Newman sang the role of the malevolent Polifemo with passion.” Chestnut Hill Local, May 2009.
On the Road: Tempesta di Mare at the Frick (New York début)
“Amid the graciousness-from-centuries-past environs of the Frick Collection on the Upper East Side, Philadelphia baroque music group Tempesta di Mare was having its New York debut Sunday in a prestigious, mainstream concert series, and playing in top form. It was time. Individual members surface periodically in early-music concerts and even opera productions here. Also, Time Out New Yorkhas been extravagantly receptive to Tempesta recordings. Co-founders Gwyn Roberts (recorder and flute) and Richard Stone (theorbo and archlute) weren’t above showing off their technical prowess on Sunday. And why not? I’d forgotten just how good they are. The Sunday program of Handel and Vivaldi represented, to these ears, such a consolidation in terms of what was played and the level at which it was played that future performances (most immediately, Handel’s Aci, Galatea & Polifemo May 15-16 in Philadelphia) can only benefit. Elsewhere, the program had strong compositional personalities such as Barbara Strozzi, represented by L’Amante segreto, and the short Handel cantata ‘Menzognere speranze,’ a 1707 piece that gives credence to the opinion that Handel’s Rome period was his best. Soprano Clara Rottsolk isn’t the typical early-music singer; her opulent tone can overwhelm a good, intricate trill. But is that so important when every phrase has such a communicative emotional presence? In the full auditorium (which is round, with fabric-covered walls), the seemingly non-specialist audience seemed perfectly happy with what it heard — as well it should’ve been.”Philadelphia Inquirer, April 2009.
On the Road: “Handel’s London” at the Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, FL
“The [Handel] B minor trio sonata (Opus 2, No. 1) has a melancholy beauty that is immediately memorable, but more importantly, the fabric of the music—its counterpoint, its melodies, its harmonic structure—breathes with an irresistible inner life. In their performance of this sonata, the four Tempesta players breathed, too; there was a richness and expansiveness to their reading that showcased their considerable individual abilities, as well as their excellence as an ensemble. The same feeling of strength and confidence was evident in another trio sonata from the Handel Opus 2 set (No. 4 in F). There were some nice detail touches, such as a brief, uniform pianissimo moment toward the end of the second movement, that added wit to the group’s overall concentration on giving each movement a distinct character. Perhaps best of all was the final Handel selection, a contemporary arrangement of four numbers from Rinaldo, the composer’s first opera for the English stage. The fugue in the second half of the Overture, begun by Ngai, was admirable for its clarity and precision, and Roberts and Ngai played the well-known tune of “Lascia ch’io pianga” with real warmth. What was remarkable here was how much sound and sheer power could be generated by four people playing music of such bare-bones texture. The answer, probably, is that these are people who know how to make Baroque-era instruments sound their best, but also for whom Baroque music is a source of unending interest and delight. And their skill—displayed again during the encore—is such that they can make us appreciate their commitment at the same time as they enchant us with the sheer loveliness of the music they make.” Palm Beach Daily News, March 2009.
CD: “Johann Friedrich Fasch Orchestral Music”
“What chance does a composer like Johann Friedrich Fasch have in a world like ours? It turns out that he has a pretty good one. What makes Fasch’s music most enjoyable is his willingness to dance. Try the final movement of the Concerto in D and see if its bubbling nature doesn’t make you want to move. While Tempesta di Mare gives Fasch’s grander moments their due, its members also seem to be inspired by Terpsichore, so a good time is had by all. The playing is suave and, while it is solid, it is not at all heavy. Tempesta di Mare is a Philadelphia-based ensemble. This is the first time I’ve encountered this group’s work. Tempesta di Mare is definitely at least as good a reason as the Liberty Bell to visit the City of Brotherly Love!” Classical.net, 2008.
“In this magnificent live recording, the musicians of Tempesta di Mare and concertmaster Emlyn Ngai offer an impeccable orchestral palette for restoring this long-forgotten music to life.” Early Music America Magazine (US), September-October 2008.
“The concert performances [on Fasch Orchestral Music] are fresh, vibrant, and spontaneous, representing the perfect marriage between musical instinct and meticulous scholarship. I don’t know what waits for us in terms of future recordings by Tempesta di Mare, but I’m certainly willing to be patient, especially if content and commitment are even half this good.” Fanfare (US), September-October 2008.
“The American group, Tempesta di Mare from Philadelphia, keeps an easy dance character in this music that strikes an attractive balance between free interpretation and strict baroque dance rhythms. Therefore the bourée from the concerto in B-flat, FWV L:B3 sounds unrestrained, and the polonaise with which the overture closes is fluidly and supply performed. Fasch’s music is clearly beautiful enough to merit rediscovery.” Kwadratuur (Belgium), September 2008.
5 Stars: “The live concert recording [Fasch Orchestral Music] radiates a tangible sense of joy and civilized charm. Dance-like movements that feature graceful string passages, mellow horns, sweet oboes and soft flutes, create an appealing courtly atmosphere. Tempesta di Mare’s playing is never less than lovely, and I particularly enjoyed the flutes and oboes in the opening Allegro of the Concerto in D. The “Aria en Pologneise” that concludes the Ouverture Grosso in D epitomises these good-natured and lovingly crafted performances.” Goldberg Magazine (Pamplona), August 5, 2008.
“Tempesta di Mare is at the cutting edge of the re-discovery of Fasch’s output—this excellent and thoroughly enjoyable recording [Fasch Orchestral Music] is based largely on their second concert of repertoire from Dresden. Tempesta di Mare really brings the glorious sound of Heinichen and Pisendel’s famous orchestra (which Fasch knew first hand) to life.” Early Music Review (UK).
“J.F. Fasch would be a much more famous composer today if a large number of his manuscripts hadn’t been destroyed in the bombing of Dresden during WWII. However, some of them did survive, and this wonderful disc of four never-before-recorded orchestral works is one result. The Philadelphia-based Tempesta di Mare orchestra (on period instruments) plays with both accuracy and passionate excitement. Very highly recommended.” CD Hotlist: New Releases for Libraries, June, 2008.
“The Philadelphia based period instrument band Tempesta di Mare eschews the driven, highly rhetorical style of some European ensembles, and instead prefers a more relaxed and elegant approach. It sustains Fasch’s longer movements well by listening to what the composer has to say rather than overlaying a strong interpretative varnish of its own.” International Record Review (UK).
“These concertos and overture [on Fasch—Orchestral Music] are performed by the very fine baroque ensemble Tempesta di Mare, which has already released a beautiful Handel disc. They have chosen only world premieres for what is an ideal disc to celebrate the composer’s 250th anniversary, for which the imagination of this orchestra is extremely well equipped. The musicians of Tempesta di Mare show all of their colors in this vital and brilliant music.” Abeille Musique (Paris), May 1, 2008.
“Crisp, foot-tapping rhythms; clear-cut tunes; and occasionally weird-sounding harmonic shifts are all terms that well describe the four works on Chandos’ Johann Friedrich Fasch: Orchestral Music, featuring Philadelphia-based Baroque ensemble Tempesta di Mare. For a group that consists of only 26 musicians, Tempesta di Mare has a huge, solid sound and this recording has more presence than anything that has come from this label in quite some time. Chandos’ Johann Friedrich Fasch: Orchestral Music could be a harbinger of exciting things to come.” allmusic.com, May 2008.
“A great baroque concert in Philadelphia.” American Public Media’s Performance Today, November 30, 2007.
CD: “Flaming Rose: Handel’s German Arias and Chamber Music”
“This seriously addictive disc should make New Yorkers envy Philadelphia for its sparkling early-music orchestra, Tempesta di Mare. Here, the group’s five expert core players pay handsome tribute to Handel. Soprano Julianne Baird joins them for the Nine German Arias. Highly recommended for lazy Sunday mornings. Four Stars.” Time Out New York, October 4, 2007.
“Several other leading lights of the early music vocal scene have offered strong recordings of these [Handel's German] arias, but this American version, featuring soprano Julianne Baird with Tempesta di Mare, is ideal. In fact it sets a new standard for historically informed Baroque recordings in the U.S., a country not currently in the forefront of developments in the field. It is respect for the intimate quality of the music that sets this recording apart: Baird has the agility to execute Handel’s ornate vocal lines at a low volume, and the entire group exudes a quiet intensity that’s a perfect match for the nature imagery of the texts. Group co-founder Gwyn Roberts, who has recorded the technically brutal recorder sonatas of Francesco Veracini in the past, is especially noteworthy on recorder and transverse flute, and the sound, recorded in a small college auditorium, effectively conveys the close quarters in which this music would originally have been played; a church recording would tend to lose the directness and inward ecstasy so effectively communicated by Baird and the instrumentalists. Highly recommended all around as a superb examination of Handel’s quieter side. allmusic.com, September, 2007.
Classical CD of the Week: “Baird—a fine American soprano prized for her outstanding contribution to recordings of Handel operas—sings with a delicate timbre. The singing is exquisitely stylish, as is the playing of Tempesta di Mare, who shine in the F major and B minor trio sonatas.” The Sunday Times (London), August 12, 2007.
“For the label Chandos, the very fine baroque ensemble Tempesta di Mare and soprano Julianne Baird offer a program dedicated to the last works that Handel wrote in German, which were never published in his lifetime. Tempesta di Mare is renowned as one of the best in this repertoire, and they play with a flair that justifies their name. With Julianne Baird, who possesses a natural sound and an exceptional musicality, they serve this hedonistic music magnificently.” Abeille Musique (Paris), July 2007.
On the Road: “Vivaldi da Camera” in Milwaukee, MN
“The ensemble Tempesta di Mare performed an all Vivaldi concert last Saturday evening, presented by Early Music Now. The five-member ensemble of two violins, recorder, cello and lute plays with wonderfully tight ensemble, divining one another’s direction in changes of tempo, an important feature of Vivaldi’s style. I appreciated the attentive avoidance of the Baroque auto-gyro syndrome, where a piece is launched and propels itself to an inevitable but dull conclusion. Four of the seven pieces on the program featured solo recorder, played by Gwyn Roberts, who made the best possible case for the instrument, with an even tone and agile ornamentation.” Shepard Express (Milwaukee), March 15, 2007.
“Early Music Now presented Tempesta di Mare in an all-Vivaldi program Saturday. Played indifferently, Vivaldi can sound like a melodious sewing machine. Tempesta was having none of that. They shaped and interpreted the music freely and attractively. In the “La Folia” Variations RV63, they weighted and timed each note of the theme to feel the solemn tread of the dance and its hesitation steps. Humphrey made phrases of the bass lines. Ngai declaimed the Adagio of the Sonata in D RV10 on his violin as if it were an elaborate, ornamented recitative from one of Vivaldi’s operas. Ngai came off as the concert’s star. Vivaldi was one of the greatest violinists of his day and invented all sorts of new techniques. The speed, rhythmic precision and infinitely varied touch of Ngai’s bowing did the master justice.” Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee), March 10, 2007.
On the Road: Tempesta di Mare at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
“Sunday’s concert at the National Gallery of Art was a survey of 16th- and 17th-century Italian music, allowing Drew Minter and the accomplished musicians of Tempesta di Mare to showcase the style, ornamentation and improvisation of that era. Minter’s performance of Sigismondo d’India’s “Listen to the Nightingale” was a tour de force, the melody perfectly painting the text, which describes the bird’s song (“now full, now solemn, now subtle, now soft”). Richard Stone’s performance of Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger’s Toccata No. 1 on theorbo (a lute with a stupendously long neck) had the energy of a rock solo and the craft of a classical cadenza. A sonata by Dario Castello was a virtuoso vehicle for recorder player Gwyn Roberts. With her sparkling technique and sensitive attention to musicality, Roberts infused the piece with operatic drama.” Washington Post, June 27, 2006.
2005–2006 Season: “The Grand Orchestra, Part 3: Germany, Austria and Bohemia”
“Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, closed out its 2005-06 season with the third and final installment of its series entitled “The Grand Orchestra” in Swarthmore College’s Lang Concert Hall. The most impressive and memorable aspect of Tempesta’s performances of all five scores was the fullness of its overall orchestral tone. Like it or not, even those of us most fond of the sound of baroque instruments must admit that most local period instruments ensembles fail to muster a full-bodied sound. The final result of these limitations is the notion that baroque music, while brightly decorative, remains substantially inexpressive. Under the artistic directorship of Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone and the leadership in performance of concertmaster Emlyn Ngai, Tempesta di Mare disabused the listener of this nonsense.” News of Delaware County, June 9, 2006.
2005–2006 Series: “The Grand Orchestra, Part 1: Italy and France”
“In a time when all good things seem to be contracting, Tempesta di Mare, the Philadelphia baroque-music orchestra, swelled to a record-high 22 players on Friday at Lang Concert Hall in Swarthmore, and will stay that way for two future programs, collectively titled The Grand Orchestra. That’s six more players than in the past. “It’s about the power of ‘more,’” the program notes proclaimed. Tempesta di Mare didn’t let itself off easy, in a sophisticated program of strong-minded French baroque composers and volatile Italian eccentrics who wrote some of the trickiest rhythms before Stravinsky. The performances honored this great music, much of which has probably never been heard here before. The major revelation was Jean-Marie Leclair’s suite from the opera Scylla et Glaucus. It’s highly original stuff, with individual sections of the orchestra often marching their separate ways and enjoying a near-choreographic sense of interplay. Is a concert performance of the entire opera too much to hope for?” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 17, 2005
2005–2006 Series: “Flaming Rose: all-Handel program featuring the German Arias”
“In Tempesta di Mare’s program, you glimpsed Handel in one of his few creative outings with his native language. And with musicians like those in this Philadelphia-based baroque orchestra, not to mention soprano Julianne Baird, you’re going to be able to hear the difference of Handel in his most comfortable zone. All elements, vocal and instrumental, had a particularly sublime convergence in “Süsse Stille, sanfte Quelle.” Is it possible to convey how magical the experience was?” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 21, 2006.
2004–2005 Series: “Clori, Tirsi and Fileno”
“The musicians of Tempesta di Mare brought the nearly 300-year-old score to life with a zest and virtuosity that transcended issues of style and instrumentation. At the close of this performance ofClori, Tirsi and Fileno, there was that sublime sensation of the suspension of time that great theater can convey. If this production by Tempesta di Mare was a way of testing the baroque operatic waters, then one can only hope that they dive all the way in for future seasons.” Philadelphia CityPaper May 26, 2005
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2004–2005 Series: “Great Quire of Heav’n”
“The off-the-grid chic factor made the concert one of the season’s irresistable events. A celebratory sense of discovery. Meticulously prepared.” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 22, 2005
2004–2005 Series: “Vivaldi da Camera”
“Performances were technically impeccable, relaxed and confident. But those were only subsidiary factors in performances that show how this relatively short-winded music can engage ears used to being invaded by Mahler. On recorder, Roberts achieved such an ease of expression that her phasing was almost vocal in its nuance. Lutenist Richard Stone ever-so-slightly broadened the rhythm of Concerto in D major (RV 93), opening the door to a richer emotional world than what’s usually found in this music. There was a near-complete merging of repertoire and performer, in an interpretive equation not unlike that of bel canto opera.” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 25, 2005
“This enterprising group of superb musicians always rewards its audiences with excellent interpretive playing.” Philadelphia Daily News, January 21, 2005
On the Road: “Vivaldi da Camera” in Baltimore, MD
“A feast for the ears. Tempesta di Mare delivered a colorful all-Vivaldi program. Highlights included Richard Stone’s elegant ornamentation in the D major Lute Concerto and Gwyn Roberts’ rapt phrasing on the recorder in the aria-like third movement of the A minor Trio, RV 86. The whole concert effectively celebrated the remarkable variety and spirit in Vivaldi’s writing.” The Baltimore Sun, November 16, 2004
On the Road: “Invisible Bach” in Reading, PA
“The group breathed vibrant life into each piece. Each player was a master. Roberts played the recorder with breathtaking fluency and spirit – she is without doubt the best I have heard on this instrument. Stone is a virtuoso on the lute as well. The two played with absolute clarity and passion. Ngai’s shapely phrases contrasted nicely with the crisp recorder passages.” The Reading Eagle(Reading, PA), May 16, 2004
CD: “Silvius Leopold Weiss Lute Concerti”
“Following considerable research and reconstruction, Richard Stone and Tempesta di Mare have released a remarkable and plausible rendition of how the Weiss concerti for lute and diverse instruments may have sounded. The works are vibrant, engaging and joyful in character. Stone’s lute work is of such a memorable quality, as agile and effortless as it is engaging, as enjoyable as technically superb. The playing is vital, elegant and nuanced.” La Folia: Online Music Review. July 2005.
“Right out of the starting gate, the group has delighted audiences with a bright and engaging period instrument sound. It is hard to imagine this music played any other way: the variety of color and timbral shading that the period string instruments impart makes the scores spring to life. Stone’s playing is lucid, yet surprisingly robust, and pleasantly paced. Special credit is also due to concertmaster Emlyn Ngai, whose silvery, soaring tone often engages the solo instruments in spirited dialogue. It is consistenly delightful, a real find for baroque music fans, especially in these brilliant performances.” Philadelphia Music Makers, Winter 2005.
“Both Richard Stone and Gwyn Roberts, who play the central role on this disc, do an excellent job; and so do their colleagues. One of the highlights is the Concerto in d minor, which is played with verve and passion. The first movement (largo) is very expressive. The allegro which follows it is brisk and sprightly, played with a very differentiated articulation and a nice forward drive from the cello.”MusicWeb International, January 2005
“This recording is a magnificent achievement. Stone has lots of technique and shines in the soloist’s role. The players tuck into it with gusto and panache, the buzzy string sound and the woody tone of the baroque flute recorded in a spacious and expressive acoustic. Anyone with an interest in the baroque should find this recording most agreeable: players interested in broadening their understanding of Weiss should consider it obligatory listening.” Classical Guitar Magazine (UK), December 2004.
“Stone’s playing is agile and confident, his sound round and full. The players of Tempesta di mare supply a lovely, understated accompaniment that is historically informed but without any ornamental gimmickry. The balance between soloist and orchestra is realistic: the lute is entirely audible but not unnaturally boosted in the mix.” American Record Guide, November/December 2004
“They not only convince, they delight.” International Record Review (UK), November 2004
“The flautist Gwyn Roberts deserves a special mention, as does Stone himself.” Gramophone, November 2004
“I cannot imagine ever hearing these wonderful concertos and duets performed better than they are here. All involved possess an exceptional sense of vitality and elegance, and they submit these world-premiere recordings with an unerring combination of unforced grace and soft-grained beauty. This debut by Tempesta di Mare leaves me wanting more.” Fanfare, September 2004
“Serious competition for Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto. The lute-flute duets are a rapturous combination of sounds.’” Classic FM Magazine (UK), September 2004
“Performed with style and panache. Congratulations to all concerned” Early Music Today (UK), August/September 2004
“Tempesta di Mare has crowned its second local season with a just-released recording on the prestigious, England-based Chandos label. Its concerts have been among the season’s best. You can imagine a wide range of listeners happy to have this disc, especially since the musicians are in such sympathy with the music. Baroque specialists have a new composer personality to ponder, and casual listeners couldn’t ask for a lovelier succession of sounds.” Philadelphia Inquirer, July 4, 2004
2003–2004 Series: “Bohemian Vivaldi”
“Superb playing and free admission — that’s been a winning formula so far for the Baroque group Tempesta di Mare. These musicians play out of love, and audiences respond in kind.” Philadelphia Daily News, January 22, 2004
2003–2004 Series: “Murder Most Foul”
“A stunning concert. Extremely accomplished. Powerfully done.” Gay City News (NYC), October 16, 2003
“A major addition to the local musical landscape, Tempesta di Mare takes its inspiration from the power of the sung word. Saturday’s concert showed how effectively they can speak to a modern sensibility. Such smart programming tells you that the minds behind Tempesta di Mare are originals” The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 6, 2003
“Tempesta di Mare gives concerts of grand quality.” Opéramag (France), September-October 2003
“Sizzling Baroque Music” Philadelphia Daily News Fall Season Preview,September 10, 2003
2002–2003 Series: “Apollo & Daphne”
“Scintillating results. The orchestra concluded its first full season in Philadelphia with contagious conviction. A significant addition to the local scene. This performance revealed the music with great specificity: there wasn’t the tiniest question what the composer was up to in any given phrase.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 8, 2003
2002–2003 Series: “Concerti for the Dresden Hofkapelle”
“Distinctive profile. Great nuance, rhythmic vigor and grasp of color. The soloists found theatrical roles and made sparks fly.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 6, 2002
On the Road: “Weiss Lute Concerti” at Temple University Distinguished Artists Series, Philadelphia, PA
“Tempesta di Mare spoke the music like a native language. The ensemble was always rhythmically tight but never wooden, and their variety of expression was perhaps their greatest asset. Lutenist Richard Stone’s playing was most impressive. There was not a note out of place, and his almost vocal tone was clear and vibrant. Flutist and co-director Gwyn Roberts’ playing was highly expressive and sang with exceptional rhetorical grace.” American Journal of Classical Guitar, March 12, 2001
On the Road: “Weiss Lute Concerti” at the Prague Spring International Music Festival, Prague, Czech Republic
“The listener was rewarded by an experience of intimate dialogues of flute, viola da gamba and lute. Four Stars.” Lidové Noviny (Prague), June 2000
CD: “Francesco Maria Veracini Recorder Sonatas”
“World-class virtuosity. With fleet fingers and sweet tone, Gwyn Roberts tears into these demanding works with nothing less than breathtaking results. Tempesta di Mare offers superb support.” American Record Guide, October 1997
“Recorder soloist Gwyn Roberts obviously enjoys the unexpected and takes illuminating risks. She loves to stretch pauses to their limits, and to surprise the listener with thrilling returns. Her individual interpretations make compulsive listening. Tempesta di Mare is constantly excellent. Five Stars.” BBC Music Magazine, August, 1997