Word: vigeland
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Graduate Chorale and I Dilettanti, performing Back cantatas, Monteverdi madrigals, and a new piece by Nils Vigeland. Kirkland House JCR. 8:30, May 19. Free...
Conducting from the harpsichord, Nils Vigeland led a well-balanced ensemble hampered only by the harpsichord's small size. Of the four upper-voice players, violinist Lynn Chang and flutist John Thow showed fine technique with sensitive dynamics and phrasing. Thow's playing had the kind of edge necessary for a flute set against such dense counterpoint provided by the more powerful instruments...
...sense of ensemble among the players was extraordinary. Vigeland did not conduct (in a hand-waving sense) once through all three movements. The attention given to the continuo part by cellist David Simpson was a pleasure to hear. Far too often the bass line is simply grunted out by bored, inattentive players who can ruin the most stunning effects of soloists...
Throughout this year Vigeland's programming has been the major attraction of the Bach Society. Beginning the concert with four string Fantasias and two In Nomines by Henry Purcell, Vigeland then presented seven more In Nomines by Peter Maxwell Davies, composed nearly 300 years after the Purcell. This type of juxtaposition is tremendously effective and could well be used in many more instances...
...tiny (under 50) audience in Paine Hall was not overly impressed with the program. The playing was consistently very good, but except for the Bach, the pieces were neither exciting nor moving. Perhaps it is about time; Vigeland's work with the Bach Society has been so successful this year that he was due a mistake. Whether next year's conductor Robert Baker keeps up the new trend towards innovation with excellence will be an intriguing question...