Soprano Karina Gauvin, who sang a Russian White Nights program with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra on Oct. 27, 2019 at Emmanuel Church in Boston.
In the 18th century, Peter the Great was determined to drag Russian music out of the middle ages and into lively conversation with great musicians of the Europe. To do so, he invited Germans, Italians, and French musicians to his St. Petersburg court.
Had he the chance, he would have invited some Canadians as well.
Specifically, Vancouver’s Pacific Baroque Orchestra, who traveled to Boston’s Emmanuel Church to explore the international richness of the Russian Baroque on Oct. 27. The ensemble, led from the harpsichord by Alexander Weimann, joined with the insightful soprano Karina Gauvin to present a snapshot of what an evening in the St. Petersburg court might have been like two centuries ago.
The program featured a mix of Russian/Ukrainian composers—Bortniansky, Fomin, Berezovsky—and other Europeans the tsar might have welcomed to the court, like Gluck, Hasse, and Paisiello. Billed as “Russian White Nights,” the selections showcased not only the personal artistry that Gauvin brings to the Baroque repertory, but the instrumental talents of Weimann and his ensemble.
Arias from forgotten operas like “Demofoonte” and “Le Faucon” blended with works from still-staged Baroque masterpieces like Gluck’s “Armide,” woven together with instrumental interludes. But for the energetic leadership of Weimann, and the talented core of instrumentalists, Gauvin might have dominated the show.
But this was an ensemble presentation, well-paced and executed. Gauvin sang Italian selections in the first half, French after intermission, and the ensemble spliced interludes throughout.
Bortniansky’s “Alcide”—the story of young Hercules, written and premiered in Venice in 1778—epitomized Peter’s yearning for an international flavor. Gauvin’s arias “Mi sorprende” and “Dei clementi” showed her pliable instrument, unforced in any range, blending organically with the ensemble.
Nothing felt forced. Gauvin sang easily over the ensemble, adding her own unrestrained Baroque instrument to the excellent mix.
Two arias from Berezovsky’s lost “Demofoonte,” the demanding “Misero pargoletto” and the transparent “Mentre il cor,” evoked an Italian style. Gauvin let both arias unfold in their own discrete fashion, the acrobatic sweep that closed “Misero pargoletto” receiving equal treatment as the unambiguous “Mentre il cor.
Weimann’s program allowed abundant space for his fine instrumentalists. A pair of hornists—Pierre-Antoine Tremblay and Simon Poirier—played flawlessly, articulate through many exposed parts. Concertmaster Chloe Meyers worked a simple but piercing violin sonata from “Demofoonte” into an artistic statement. The winds stood out in a trio of septet divertimenti by Paisiello.
Four wrenching arias from Gluck’s “Armide” that closed the performance brought out a deeper emotional and sonic range from Gauvin. Exploring Armide’s shifting motives—she has captured the knight Renaud, but instead of killing him she falls in love with him—Gauvin unbuttoned Armide’s unsteady feelings with a torrent of vocal fervor. One phrase—“Je soupire!”—epitomized Armide’s convoluted transformation in a wash of sonic excess.
Weimann conducted enthusiastically. Leading from the harpsichord, every phrase received the same energetic direction. His humorous introductions helped to place the arcane plots in context. The Boston performance of “Russian White Nights” is part of a four-city North American tour, with performances in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.
Keith Powers covers music for GateHouse Media, Opera News and WBUR’s ARTery. Follow @PowersKeith; email to keithmichaelpowers@gmail.com.