Ensemble!Caprice - Agence Station bleue

 

Ensemble
 Caprice
 have
 in
 the
 past
 20
 years
 be

Winner
 of
 the
 2009
 JUNO
 award
 for
 best
 classical
 reco
they
 have
 thilled
 audiances
 throughout
 Canada
 and
 th

Under
 the
 artistic
 direction
 of
 Matthias
 Maute
 and
 So
innovative
 interpretations
 of
 baroque
 music.
 Originall
Montreal,
 the
 ensemble
 continues
 to
 give
 concerts
 in
Bruges,
 Belgium,
 the
 Netwerk-­‐Reihe
 of
 the
 Organisati
International
 Recorder
 Symposium
 in
 Stuttgart,
 the
 Re
Rencontres
 in
 Heidelberg.
 In
 2005,
 the
 ensemble
 mad
series
 and
 has
 subsequently
 appeared
 in
 many
 parts
 o
Closer
 to
 home
 in
 Canada,
 the
 ensemble
 has
 its
 own
 c
recently
 nominated
 for
 the
 Conseil
 québécois
 de
 la
 m
categories,
 including
 best
 early
 music
 concert
 and
 CD.
Badia
 was
 released
 in
 June
 2007.
 Ensemble
 Caprice’s
 
focuses
 on
 a
 unique,
 anonymous
 collection
 of
 early
 gy
Vivaldi.
 

Matthias
 Maute
 has
 achieved
 an
 international
 reputa
recorder
 and
 baroque
 flute
 players
 of
 his
 generation
 a
1990,
 he
 won
 First
 Prize
 in
 the
 soloist
 category
 at
 the
 
Competition
 in
 Bruges,
 Belgium.
 Mr.
 Maute
 is
 also
 est
direction
 of
 Ensemble
 Caprice,
 for
 whom
 he
 produces
programs.
 The
 ensemble
 has
 appeared
 at
 several
 maj
North
 America,
 Taiwan
 and
 Israel.
 In
 addition
 to
 his
 w
Caprice,
 Mr.
 Maute
 is
 invited
 to
 appear
 as
 a
 soloist
 at
Europe
 and
 the
 United
 States,
 as
 well
 as
 with
 the
 baro
2003
 and
 2005,
 he
 was
 the
 featured
 recorder
 virtuoso
Festival
 and
 he
 will
 make
 his
 debut
 at
 New
 York
 City’s
December
 2008.
 His
 compositions
 hold
 an
 important
 
contemporary
 recorder
 music
 and
 are
 published
 by
 B
Amadeus,
 Moeck
 and
 Carus.
 Mr.
 Maute
 has
 made
 twe
Analekta,
 Vanguard
 Classics,
 Bella
 Musica,
 Dorian,
 Bri

University
 in
 Montreal.
 

Sophie
 Larivière
 has
 bee
Artistic
 Co-­‐Director.
 In
 t
the
 ensemble
 in
 its
 ques
expressivity.
 With
 Ensem
concerts,
 in
 particular
 in
Europe
 (Vienna,
 Berlin,
 a
and
 the
 Boston
 Early
 Mu
a
 Debut
 Atlantic
 tour).
 A
regularly
 to
 appear
 with
Opéra
 de
 Montréal,
 
 Le
 
Sinfonie,
 the
 Theatre
 of
 
(Quebec),
 the
 New
 York
Larivière
 has
 made
 reco
Antes
 Edition
 and
 Interd

ecome
 one
 of
 Canada's
 leading
 early
 music
 groups.
 
ording
 of
 the
 year
 with
 their
 CD
 Gloria!
 Vivaldi's
 Angels,
 
he
 USA.
 
 

ophie
 Larivière,
 Ensemble
 Caprice
 is
 renowned
 for
 its
 
ly
 formed
 in
 Germany
 in
 1989
 and
 now
 based
 in
 
n
 Europe
 and
 has
 appeared
 at
 the
 Vlaanderen
 Festival
 in
 
ie
 voor
 Oude
 Muziek
 in
 The
 Netherlands,
 the
 
ecorder
 Festival
 in
 Stockstadt,
 and
 the
 Early
 Music
 
de
 its
 U.S.
 debut
 in
 the
 Boston
 Early
 Music
 Festival
 concert
 
of
 America,
 with
 additional
 tours
 of
 Israel
 and
 Taiwan.
 
 
concert
 series
 at
 Redpath
 Hall
 in
 Montreal
 and
 was
 
musique's
 prestigious
 Prix
 Opus
 award
 in
 three
 different
 
.
 A
 new
 recording
 featuring
 the
 music
 of
 Fux,
 Caldara
 and
 

 most
 recent
 recording
 project,
 for
 the
 Analekta
 label,
 
ypsy
 music
 (1730)
 from
 Eastern
 Europe
 and
 works
 by
 

ation
 as
 one
 of
 the
 finest
 
and
 as
 a
 composer.
 In
 

 prestigious
 Early
 Music
 
teemed
 for
 his
 artistic
 
s
 ingenious
 and
 fascinating
 
jor
 venues
 in
 Europe,
 
work
 with
 Ensemble
 
t
 important
 festivals
 in
 
oque
 ensemble
 Rebel.
 In
 
o
 at
 the
 Boston
 Early
 Music
 
s
 Lincoln
 Center
 in
 

 place
 in
 the
 world
 of
 
reitkopf
 &
 Härtel,
 
enty
 recordings
 on
 the
 
idge
 and
 Atma
 Classique
 labels.
 He
 is
 a
 professor
 at
 McGill
 

en
 a
 member
 of
 Ensemble
 Caprice
 since
 1997
 and
 is
 the
 
his
 capacity,
 she
 helps
 to
 enrich
 the
 creative
 direction
 of
 
st
 for
 musical
 discoveries
 that
 blend
 virtuosity
 with
 
mble
 Caprice,
 Ms.
 Larivière
 has
 appeared
 in
 numerous
 
n
 Israel
 (Tel
 Aviv
 and
 the
 Mediterranean
 Arts
 Festival),
 
and
 Stuttgart),
 the
 United
 States
 (Chicago,
 Los
 Angeles
 
usic
 Festival)
 and
 Canada
 (Edmonton,
 Grande
 Prairie
 and
 
A
 facile
 and
 eloquent
 performer,
 Ms.
 Larivière
 is
 invited
 
h
 such
 early
 music
 ensembles
 as
 the
 Arion
 Ensemble,
 the
 

 Studio
 de
 musique
 ancienne
 de
 Montréal,
 La
 Nouvele
 

 Early
 Music,
 Rebel
 (New
 York),
 Les
 Violons
 du
 Roy
 
k
 Collegium
 Musicum
 and
 Le
 Concert
 Spirituel
 (Paris).
 Ms.
 
ordings
 on
 the
 Analekta,
 Virgin
 Classics,
 Atma
 Classique,
 
disc
 labels.
 

Susie
 Napper
 was
 awarded
 Quebec’s
 “Personality
 of
 t
in
 2002.
 She
 is
 the
 founder
 and
 Artistic
 Director
 of
 the
Festival.
 Having
 grown
 up
 in
 an
 artistic
 milieu
 in
 Londo
at
 the
 Juilliard
 School
 in
 New
 York
 and
 later
 at
 the
 Par
Since
 then,
 Ms.
 Napper
 has
 appeared
 with
 several
 int
early
 music
 ensembles,
 such
 as
 the
 Philharmonia
 Baro
Stradivaria
 in
 France,
 the
 Studio
 de
 musique
 ancienne
Trinity
 Consort
 of
 Portland,
 Tafelmusik,
 Ensemble
 Cap
da
 gamba
 duo
 Les
 Voix
 Humaines.
 Her
 concert
 tours
 h
far
 afield
 as
 China,
 Japan,
 New
 Zealand,
 India,
 the
 Mid
and
 North
 America.
 Ms.
 Napper’s
 recordings,
 which
 in
known
 repertoire
 for
 two
 viols,
 can
 be
 heard
 on
 the
 H
EMI,
 Erato,
 ADDA,
 CBC
 Records,
 Naxos,
 Analekta
 and
 

Atma
 Classiq

Ziya
 Tabassia
tombak
 at
 th
pursuing
 his
 
studied
 class
Montreal
 and
Bahman
 Raja
co-­‐founded
 w
Caprice
 he
 ha
Ensemble
 Mo
de
 Montreal.
the
 Ambianc

David
 Jacque
de
 Beauce,
 Q
Doctorate
 in
 
music
 from
 the
 Université
 de
 Montréal.
 
 He
 began
 his
the
 Cégep
 de
 Sainte-­‐Foy,
 continuing
 at
 Université
 Lav
Conservatory.
 He
 has
 recorded
 more
 than
 15
 CDs
 on
 t
Analekta
 labels
 and
 collaborated
 on
 numerous
 other
 p
guitarre
 de
 Mr
 Rémy
 Médard(Productions
 XX-­‐21)
 won
la
 Musique’s
 2008
 Prix
 Opus
 Disc
 of
 the
 Year
 award
 in
David
 has
 also
 published
 several
 arrangements
 for
 gu
d'OZ.
 Active
 both
 in
 Canada
 and
 internationally,
 he
 ha
concerts
 in
 30
 countries
 on
 all
 five
 continents.
 He
 is
 cu
Classical
 Guitar
 at
 Université
 Laval
 and
 the
 Cégep
 de
 S
invited
 by
 other
 musical
 organizations
 to
 give
 master
 


 

the
 Year”
 Prix
 Opus
 
e
 Montreal
 Baroque
 
on,
 she
 then
 studied
 
ris
 Conservatory.
 
ternationally-­‐known
 
oque
 Orchestra,
 
e
 de
 Montréal,
 the
 
price
 and
 the
 viola
 
have
 taken
 her
 as
 
ddle
 East,
 Europe
 
nclude
 most
 of
 the
 
Harmonia
 Mundi,
 

 most
 notably
 on
 the
 
que
 labels.
 

an
 began
 playing
 the
 
he
 age
 of
 eleven.
 He
 began
 his
 formal
 training
 in
 Iran,
 

 studies
 with
 Master
 Tehrani's
 method.
 In
 Canada,
 he
 
sical
 percussion
 with
 Julien
 Gregoire
 at
 the
 University
 of
 
d
 later
 returned
 to
 Iran
 to
 continue
 his
 training
 with
 M.
 
abi.
 Ziya
 is
 an
 active
 member
 of
 Constantinople,
 which
 he
 
with
 his
 brother
 Kiya
 Tabassian.
 In
 addition
 to
 Ensemble
 
as
 collaborated
 with
 the
 Kronos
 Quartet,
 the
 Nouvel
 
oderne,
 En
 Chordais,
 and
 the
 Studio
 de
 musique
 ancienne
 
.
 His
 solo
 CD,
 entitled
 TOMBAK
 was
 recently
 released
 on
 
ces
 Magnetiques
 label.
 

es
 was
 born
 in
 Saint-­‐Georges
 
Quebec
 in
 1978
 and
 has
 a
 
 

 the
 interpretation
 of
 early
 
s
 studies
 of
 classical
 guitar
 at
 
val
 and
 later
 at
 the
 Québec
 
the
 XXI-­‐21,
 ATMA
 and
 
productions.
 His
 Pièces
 de
 
n
 the
 Conseil
 Québécois
 de
 
n
 the
 early
 music
 category.
 
uitar
 for
 Les
 Productions
 
as
 performed
 over
 2000
 
urrently
 Professor
 of
 
Sainte-­‐Foy
 and
 is
 frequently
 

 classes
 and
 workshops.
 

lazzling ClilltC'J N0rE80()1(
J'sOia- CAPI\ICIOUS BACH
s Cho-
:manœ. Hardly a month goes by
: 7:30.} without a new rendition
ofBach's Brandenburg
sa rov· Concertos arriving in the
virtual space where record
n. Her stores used to be. A version
by the Montreal-based
in cbelr group Ensemble Caprice,
on the Analekta label, stands
: tsin an

eriver-
2 at 7.

;rapher out not only for its fleet,
li-male characterful approach but
and, to also for its startling choice
!R play to intermingle Bach's
\gwa,"
Tothe masterpieces with Baroque-
bythe style arrangements ofseven
1 aero- preludes and fugues by
aïd of Dmitri Shostakovich.
30.) These 1ast are the work
ofthe group's leader,
IDEAS Matthias Maute, who finds
fresh, vibrant colors in
lvalin· Shostakovich's outwardly
Jthlo- doleful music. There's a
-:stival.
strong philosophical point
Jaudl· behind the endeavor, as
lUa6o- Maute explains in the
magazine EarlyMusic
hougb America: given thatwe
:ienœs routinely adapt the music
·own: ofthe past for modem
o-e eve- instruments, why not
played reverse the equation? As
:spaœ you listen, you imagine a
anities time machine that has
ge St., somehow transported
8.}
Shostakovich's Bachian
:Phil- pieces to the messy desk of
~8 his Bach himself, who, pUZ7.led
nix of but intrigued, tries them out
y bal· with his orchestra in Cëthen.
rarely He li.lœs what he hears.
ubiq-
nbine - Alex&$$
d irec-
inGi-
•• live
aneer,
nying
land
pres·
1d the
ne27

lhetic
:rom-

party.
Ulette

areth
:>frers
110rk:s
man,
(509
at 8.}

icse-
linist

Music
Exploring Bach for His Gypsy Side

Bill Blackstone
The Ensemble Caprice, top, is coming to New York for the concert “Bach and the Bohemian Gypsies” at the Miller Theater.
By Michael Beckerman
Published: November 6, 2009

SO this musicologist wants to establish that the can we recover the vanished past from invisible
finale of Haydn’s last symphony (No. 104) is based traces left by an oral tradition? Matthias Maute, a
on a folk song. He goes into the fields, finds a group German recorder and flute virtuoso and composer,
of peasants and calls them over: “Hey, do you guys and the Ensemble Caprice offer tantalizing
know this tune? Dee-da-dah, dee-da-dah, duh-duh- possibilities in “Bach and the Bohemian Gypsies,” a
da-ta-da duh-dah.” The peasants shrug their concert to take place at the Miller Theater at
shoulders: never heard it before, sorry. Columbia University on Saturday evening.

Twenty years later another musicologist comes by, The approach taken by the ensemble, founded in
finds the same group of peasants and says, “Hey, Germany in 1989 and now based in Montreal, is
lads, sing me your favorite song.” The peasants look provocative, first because its primary source hovers
knowingly at one another and start, “Dee-da-dah, weightlessly between the written and oral traditions.
dee-da-dah ... .” The musicologist concludes that For at the core of the group’s repertory, among the
Haydn’s finale is definitely based on folk music. concertos of Vivaldi, Telemann and Bach, are
arrangements of pieces from the astonishing
Bill Blackstone Monumenta Musica Slovaca Facsimile I Uhrovska Manuscript. Created in 1730 and
A section of the Uhrovska Manuscript of 1730, which the ensemble rediscovered only in the mid-20th century, this
suggests can be connected to works by Bach. collection of almost 350 pieces features single-line
violin melodies in several hands that represent a
Such are the vagaries and pitfalls of writing history. compendium of contemporary practices. The
The past happened long ago and mostly far away. kaleidoscope of tunes includes Polish dances,
Reconstructing it even from meticulously preserved Hungarian songs, ballads in Slovak, mealtime arias
and ordered documents is a feat that requires the labeled “Ad mensam,” marches, preludes, even a
greatest skill, enormous luck and endless stamina, Faust ballet.
and it is usually at least half wrong anyway. So how
In a series of vibrant performances and recordings
the Ensemble Caprice has suggested a strong
connection between the manuscript and works by
Bach, Telemann and Vivaldi. Many tunes in the
Uhrovska Manuscript feature scales and rhythms
seemingly worlds away from the so-called standard
practice of the High Baroque and also reflect a
considerable degree of virtuosity.

Thus the second bold stroke of the ensemble’s The Ensemble Caprice prods us to think broadly about
approach: the assertion that the manuscript represents issues of moment. We tend to treat musical works as
Gypsy music-making. The group’s arrangements are timeless products of genius, often conflating what is
imaginative, even powerful, and the playing is top- special about, say, Bach or Mozart with the sonic
flight. But there are also questions. How can we be sure currency of the age, giving the “great composers” credit
that any of these composers knew the kind of music for both what is written and what has vanished. As Mel
found in the Uhrovska collection? How would these Brooks would say, “It’s good to be the King.” But any
pieces have been performed? Should items in the concept of a written “high style” is incomprehensible
manuscript be called Gypsy music at all? Finally, what without the richness of an oral tradition alongside. The
does it mean to market anything as Gypsy these days? programming of the Ensemble Caprice goes as far as
that of any early-music group in insisting that these
The first of the Ensemble Caprice’s recordings to mine different musical worlds be given equal weight,
this material was “Vivaldi and the Baroque Gypsies,” challenging listeners to hear familiar music from a
for the Canadian label Analekta. (Samples can be heard different angle.
on analekta.com.) The accompanying notes suggest
that Vivaldi’s Ospedale, the orphanage in Venice where But the question of musical Gypsies is complicated.
he worked, was on the banks of the “Slavic canal,” and There is no doubt that the Gypsies, who call themselves
they invite the reader to imagine who was likely to have Roma, are implicated in the Uhrovska collection in
washed up there and what kind of music they might some way. There may be arguments about whether
have played. The notes also draw attention to pieces marked “Hungaricus,” of which there are 102,
connections between Vivaldi’s virtuosity as a violinist are Hungarian in character or whether they were
and Gypsy fiddling. But the composer was mute on simply collected in the area designated as Hungary,
those subjects. Not all virtuosos are Gypsies, and not all and whether any of these were played or created by
Gypsies are virtuosos, so the connection may be a bit Gypsies. But at least one piece, No. 230 in the
fanciful. collection, is clearly marked “Czigan,” the Hungarian
and Central European word for Gypsy.
More recently Mr. Maute and the ensemble have
released “Telemann and the Baroque Gypsies” on Even here nothing is certain. Does the title mean that
Analekta, and here the link between the composer and the piece was played by Gypsy musicians, or could it
the oral tradition is easier to document. In 1739 simply be a stylized tune, the way Polonaise suggests
Telemann wrote of his time in the employ of Count Poland? The question is further complicated by the
Erdmann von Promnitz at Sorau (now Zary, Poland) historical tendency of groups like Hungarians and
from 1705 to 1706: “When the court spent half a year in Romanians to say things like, “We paid the Gypsies to
Pless” — now Pszczyna, Poland — “one of Promnitz’s play our music, and now everyone calls it ‘Gypsy
estates in Upper Silesia, I became acquainted, as in music.’ ”
Krakow, with music of Poland and the Hanakia region
of Moravia in its true barbaric beauty.” While it probably does not make sense to give the
Gypsies credit for the entire spectrum of traditional
“I once heard 36 Polish pipes and 8 Polish violins performance, as the Ensemble Caprice does, there is a
playing together,” he added. “One can hardly believe certain rough justice at work since so many have taken
what wonderful ideas such pipers or fiddlers have when credit for music played and created by the Gypsies. It is
they improvise while the dancers rest. In eight days an time to acknowledge that at least since the 17th century
observant person could snap up enough ideas from the musical landscape of Europe and North America,
them to last a lifetime.” the “classical” manifestations as well as the “popular,”
would not be the same without the presence of Gypsies,
This echoes what Dvorak said about African-American whose voices, real and imagined, have carved
music (and also what Brahms said about Dvorak). In themselves deeply into the tradition.
the first few bars of the Presto from Telemann’s
Concerto for Two Flutes in E minor his debt to rural Whatever doubts may linger about the ultimate
music making becomes abundantly clear. Gypsiness of the Uhrovska Manuscript or Bach’s
“Italian” Concerto, the marketing concept “... and the
The case of Bach is more like that of Vivaldi, since we Gypsies” is ingenious.
have no evidence that Bach heard the kind of playing
Telemann describes.

It is a hard world out there for early-music ensembles Finding Bohemian
trying to make a living. Even if the highest quality is Influences in Baroque
taken for granted, how do you sell Telemann? The
marketing of something as Gypsy music usually By Vivien Schweitzer
implies an erotic blend of expressivity and virtuosity Published: November 17, 2009
that one doesn’t always associate with, say, the Baroque music and Gypsy tunes may seem unlikely
German Baroque. It is why a composer like Brahms bedfellows on a program, but Matthias Maute, artistic
chose a “Gypsy Rondo” finale for his G minor Piano director of the period-instrument Ensemble Caprice,
Quartet and why music as disparate as punk, argues that Bach and Telemann may have been
flamenco and hip-hop are marketed as “Gypsy”: influenced by itinerant musicians.
Gypsy music sells.
In a concert called “Bach and the Bohemian Gypsies” at
Yet one may feel a slight discomfort about the the Miller Theater on Saturday evening (part of the
Ensemble Caprice’s marketing strategies. For those series Bach and the Baroque), the excellent Ensemble
who study contemporary events there is evidence Caprice, founded in Germany in 1989 and now based in
aplenty that Gypsies are in terrible straits in parts of Montreal, offered selections from the Uhrovska
Europe, and some have raised fears of a holocaust. Collection of 1730. This compilation, rediscovered in the
The Ensemble Caprice ought to think carefully about mid-20th century, includes almost 350 violin melodies
what it means to represent Gypsies as romantic and from Eastern Europe.
carefree, as “the Bohemian Gypsies,” at a moment
when their situation is precarious. Bach, writes Mr. Maute in the program notes, walked
great distances through northeastern Germany as a
This is especially important since the ensemble has young man and might have been exposed to Gypsy
established itself as an immensely thoughtful and music. Telemann’s encounters with the genre are better
progressive force on the musical scene. A group that documented: he wrote of his appreciation of the
encourages listeners to rehear the world while “barbaric beauty” of Gypsy music in what is now Poland.
contemplating relationships among repertories and
groups might also take the lead in demystifying the Musicologists might debate the connections, but the
Roma. music making on Saturday was first rate in the group’s
striking arrangements of selections from the Uhrovska
Meanwhile, though nothing is ever exactly as Collection. The violinist Olivier Brault offered virtuosic
advertised, the pieces the Ensemble Caprice has to solos, performing with soulful, improvisatory flair.
offer — traditional as well as classical — are jewels
nonetheless. Bach was represented by his Concerto in F (BWV 1057),
with fine playing from the harpsichordist Kenneth
A version of this article appeared in print on November 8, 2009, on Weiss, and an arrangement of the Italian Concerto by
page AR25 of the New York edition. Mr. Maute, who played the recorder with panache. The
program also featured Telemann’s Concerto in E minor
for recorder and flute, with its Gypsy-like finale, and
several Bach polonaises.

The next concert series features Trio Settecento on Dec.
4 at the Miller Theater, Broadway at 116th Street,
Morningside Heights; (212) 854-7799.

A version of this article appeared in print on November 18, 2009, on
page C2 of the New York edition.

Review Ensemble Caprice: Soprano Dawn Bailey a highlight among featured delights

Review Ensemble Caprice: So
highlight among featured del

BY RICHARD TODD, OTTAWA CITIZEN DECEMBER 2, 2012

Montreal’s Ensemble Caprice, under the artistic direction of Matthias
Christmas-themed music from the Baroque era as celebrated in Euro
Photograph by: Bill Blackstone, The Ottawa Citizen

Ensemble Caprice
Dominion-Chalmers Church
Reviewed: Sunday at 3:30
Montreal’s Ensemble Caprice is a superb little group o
modelled after those of the Baroque era, but who do i
instruments include flutes, recorders, baroque guitar,
The “around the world” part of the program title is a litt
but I suppose they experienced little in the way of a B
European countries and several from Latin America.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/story_print.html?id=7641062&sponsor=

2012-12-03 09:59

oprano Dawn Bailey a
lights

s Maute, presented a colourful and varied program of
ope, Mexico and South America.

of musicians who not only play instruments
t with consummate expertise and musicality. Their
baroque cello and percussion.
tle fanciful. Four continents were skipped over,
Baroque period. There were works from six

Page 1 sur 2

Review Ensemble Caprice: Soprano Dawn Bailey a highlight among featured delights

The afternoon began with Francesco Manfredini’s Sin
forgettable work, but a cheery way to open the progra
Of the many pleasures of the afternoon, none was gre
and happily she sang a lot. She began with the aria us
Cantata no. 208. The two-recorder obligato was a trea
Following that there was a suite of European carols of
from beginning to end, but special mention goes to Sil
and the exquisite accompaniment by Caprice players
most popular carol in the world for nearly two centurie
from the Baroque; it was written in 1818. Timeless, yo
As if to compensate, most of the set of South America
and mostly in date of composition. Although they didn
models, they did have moments of what I assume was
Bailey’s numbers were the most memorable.
Also outstanding were the two solo instrumental piece
These were a Chaconne for solo guitar and a fantasia
Next came three Mexican items, including one, Tarará
who lived from 1650-1715. It was a delight.
One of the highlights of the afternoon was a wonderfu
Concerto, the Concerto grosso, op. 6, no. 8. The conc
setting for two recorders rather than the original two v

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/story_print.html?id=7641062&sponsor=

2012-12-03 09:59

nfonia pastorale per il Santissimo Natale, a
am.
eater than the singing of soprano Dawn Bailey,
sually called Sheep May Safely Gaze from Bach’s
at as well.
f which she sang several. The suite was a delight
lent Night for the simple purity of Bailey’s singing

gave one to understand why this has been the
es. It might be noted that Silent Night isn’t really
ou might say.
an pieces that followed were pre-Baroque in style
n’t sound radically different from their European
s a South-American sound. Once again, soprano

es that opened the second half of the concert.
a for recorder.
á, by the not-entirely-obscure Antonio de Salazar

ul arrangement of Corelli’s famous Christmas
cluding Pastorale was especially beautiful in its
violins.

Page 2 sur 2

Ensemble Caprice, early music a bluesman would get | ThirdCoast Digest
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Arts & Culture > A/C Feature 3 > Ensemble Caprice, early music a bluesman would get

Ensemble Caprice, early music a bluesman would get

October 7th, 2012 | By Jonathan Brodie
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0 Like 3 people like this. Be the first
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Many years ago I heard a
named Lefty Diz. He was
p.m. His band was ready
turquoise Stratocaster, o
stand, looked lonely. At 9
without him. 9:25, still no
got antsy.

Then a commotion from
there was he was, in an p
suede shoes. As the ban
nonchalantly through the
leisurely pace. A sudden
him to the stage. He grab
Stratocaster and produce
and illegible chord. It som
music impeccably. The a

What does this Blues mo
Ensemble Caprice, the C
Music Now presented Sa
Zelazo Center?

At first blush, Lefty Diz an

might seem as close as C

second blush, it’s more li

Ensemble Caprice: Matthias Maute and Sophie Larivière (recorders and Caprice’s Matthias Maute
transverso flutes), David Jacques (baroque guitar), Susie Napper (recorders and transvers
(baroque cello) and Ziya Tabassian (percussion). (baroque guitar), Susie N

Ziya Tabassian (percussion) called their show Salsa Baroque. They played 17th and 18th-c

American repertoire, not Chicago blues, and boxwood recorders versus a turquoise Stratoc

But you could argue that Lefty Diz and Caprice work from the same playbook. It would read
as well as dramatic, can be for dancing, should fit the venue and should offer a chance to s
imagination.

The goal of Ensemble Caprice, according to the program notes and Maute’s articulate onst
show how the challenge and excitement of the Americas changed the music the Spaniards
Spanish musical forms, Tarantellas, Canarios, and Chaconnes, to name a few, could not re
travels never does. Native American and African influences transformed the Spanish music

Caprice let us know, from the get-go, that the concert would not be early-music conventiona

http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2012/10/ensemble-caprice-early-music-a-bluesman-w

2012-10-09 09:31
Search

a Chicago Bluesman Page 1 sur 3
s scheduled to begin at 9
y to go. No Lefty. Lefty’s
on stage and cradled in its
9:15, the band started
o Lefty. 9:30. The crowd

the back of the room, and
purple suit and white
nd played on, he strolled
e congregation at a
n, vigorous leap propelled
bbed the neglected
ed a stupendously loud
mehow fit the ongoing
audience went nuts.

oment have to do with the
Canadian group that Early
aturday night at UWM’s

nd Ensemble Caprice
Corsica and Cudahy. On
ike Kenosha and Racine.

e and Sophie Larivière
so flutes), David Jacques
Napper (baroque cello) and
century Spanish and South
caster.

d that music can be playful
show off great chops and

tage commentary, was to
s brought with them. The
emain static. Music that
c.

al. It had a little Lefty Diz

would-get/

Ensemble Caprice, early music a bluesman would get | ThirdCoast Digest

about it. Jacques strolled in first, already playing an upbeat tune, Jacaras, on his guitar. Na
clapped out a rhythmic ostinato — and left her cello resting on stage.

The clapping sent a message that carried through the concert: The world abounds with sim
use.

Maute and Larivière entered through the back of the house and reached stage in a stately
were much faster than Lefty), and the antiphonal processional turned into an ensemble. Th
metaphor for the thesis of the concert. Things happen when music moves from one place to
sense for the performers to enter the hall as migrants.

After the opening Jacaras, Caprice played another 26 pieces, in eight sets. Maute, the char
tied these sets together with a story of his own invention. Like all fine story tellers, he gave
was improvising. The improvised spirit made its way into the musical performance as well.
Baroque music were largely improvised, but then or now it’s far safer safe to practice “impro
makes the music more reliable but less spontaneous. To Ensemble Caprice’s credit, lots of
conversation seemed to be going on.

Some tunes were quiet and melancholic, Falconieri’s La Suave Melodia, for example. Som
eruptions of wild division playing; Ortiz’s Doulce Memoroire gave Napper quite the work-ou
up to it. If you like ground basses, this program’s numerous chaconnes and passacaglias w
played them with cheerful rhythmic verve that reminded us that chaconnes and passacaglia
dance.

The question of authenticity always comes into play at early music concerts. Did the music
years ago? Probably not.

As a learned concert-goer remarked to me, this ensemble’s lack of concern with “authentici
performance all the more authentic. Ensemble Caprice, among many other groups in the e
has lately evolved, have found a convincing path to authenticity by not attempting to sound
they try to imagine how free-wheeling musicians might have thought 400 years ago. They a
century musicians not in the sounds they make (although period instruments certainly help)
approach. Caprice took old tunes, added salsa and chutzpah and served an evening of gra

The late Lefty Diz would have understood this concert. He might have even sat in with the b

Next up for Early Music Now: The Alba Consort on Nov. 17.

Don’t miss anything! Bookmark Matthew Reddin’s TCD Guide to the 2012-13 Season, spon
Opera. And each Tuesday, consult the TCD On Stage for the week’s events.

Related Stories

On Stage 10/2: Dark Theater, Light Music
Early Music Now finishes in a Blaze of Glory
Fine Arts Quartet: A magical “Trout” on a Summer Evening
Philomusica’s “Goldberg”: Brains and lyrical beauty
On Stage 4/17: Tours, galleries and guests galore

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http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2012/10/ensemble-caprice-early-music-a-bluesman-w

2012-10-09 09:31

apper came out next and

mple sounds to honor and

manner (even so, they
his wandering was an apt
o another. It made perfect

rismatic and witty leader,
the impression that he
Divisions and variations in
ovised” variations. That
f improvisational musical

me were introspective, with
ut, and she was more than
were for you. Caprice
as have their roots in

really sound like this 400

ity” made their
early music movement as it
d 400 years old. Rather,
are like 17th and 18th
) but in their imaginative
and entertainment.
band.

nsored by the Florentine

to the Editor

would-get/ Page 2 sur 3

Jpost | Print Article

May 10, 2012 Thursday 18 Iyyar 5772 14:45 IST

Exercise Your Brain Games You Didn't Know Existed to Fight Brain Decline and Aging.
Science of Opera @ McGill Understand the Science of Opera this seminar. Register onlin
Concert Tickets All Shows All Venues No Service Charge www.actickets.com

Salsa Baroque sty

By MAXIM REIDER
10/05/2012

The Exciting 17th- and 18th-century
a rare concert.

Photo by: Courtesy

Salsa Baroque, performed by the Montreal-based Ensemble Caprice,
the Felicja Blumental International Chamber Music Festival this year.
Matthias Maute, with soprano Shannon Mercer, will perform 17th- and
America by composers such as Murcia, Falconieri, Ortiez, Fernandes

Speaking on the phone from Toronto, Maute, who serves as co-artisti
Sophie Larivière, talked about the ensemble and his own musical car

“I initially learned recorders, which are instruments that cover the enti
music and also reflect my approach as a conductor. Least of all do I w
period or music style,” he says.

Maute describes his 15-member ensemble as “a wonderful group of m
lot of colors of music to present, since our ensemble includes flutes a
various percussion instruments, which makes the performance so spe

Ensemble Caprice has been collaborating with Mercer for several yea
about Shannon is her incredible voice and her ability to manage a ver
Romantic, Baroque and contemporary music – in that way, being sim
blessed with a perfect sense of style. So, for example, when she sing
that special flair it demands,” says Maute.

Speaking about the concert program, Maute says that “a Western mu
European Baroque music of that period sounds, with names like Core
mind. But here we find something different. There obviously are elem
influences of other cultures, which makes it unique and colorful. We a
the audience seems to enjoy it as well, seeing it as a kind of a crosso
both Italian and Spanish music, but also that of those unfortunate blac
to work in the silver mines of Latin America.”

Maute, for whom this will be his second visit to Israel (he participated
ago), says he and his colleagues feel honored to be invited to the fes
they land in Tel Aviv.

Ensemble Caprice presents two programs in the same day. While the
p.m., the other one at 5:30 p.m. will serve as a sort of introduction to t
and Latin America.

May 17 at Recanati Hall, Tel Aviv Museum of Art. For more about the
www.blumentalfestival.com. Reservations: (03) 607-7020

http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=269422

12-05-10 14:46

. www.lumosity.com
ne now! www.mcgill.ca/opera

yle

y music from Spain and Latin America in

, is one of the most intriguing concerts in
On May 17 the ensemble, conducted by
d 18thcentury music of Spain and Latin
s, Zipoli and Aroujou.

ic director for Ensemble Caprice with
reer and approach to music.

ire span from Baroque to contemporary
want to be associated with this or that

musicians to go on tour with. We have a
and recorders, Baroque guitar, cello and
ecial.”

ars now. “What I especially appreciate
ry wide repertoire, which includes
milar to my approach to music. She is
gs Spanish music, she is able to give it

usic lover on the whole knows how
elli or Schutz immediately coming to
ments of Baroque music but also clear
always immensely enjoy playing it, and
over. And indeed, here one can discern
ck slaves who were brought from Africa

in Felicja Blumental Festival three years
stival again and can’t wait for the moment

e above-mentioned concert starts at 9
the world of Baroque music in Europe

e festival programs:

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