The Academy of Ancient Music “Angels and Saints”

Dorset County Museum November 25th

To put it simply, The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is one of the finest Baroque ensembles in the world. Founded in the early 1970’s by the late Christopher Hogwood, the orchestra established a new benchmark for the performance of Baroque and early music. String players reverted to using gut strings, not modern steel ones; yes, more temperamental, but essential in recreating the lighter sound of the period. Modern orchestras tune to a higher pitch, whereas Baroque orchestras tune to a lower pitch. These changes, and more, quickly became essential for the authentic performance of Baroque music, and AAM led the way. So, how wonderful it was to hear this renowned ensemble in Dorchester, courtesy of generous funding by a private donor.

Their programme, “Angels and Saints”, featured music by Vivaldi, Vejanovsky, Leclair, Manfredini, and Biber, and was skilfully directed by the Croatian violinist Bojan ?i?i?, who also featured as soloist in many of the works. Throughout the concert, AAM’s performances were exemplary; so lively and invigorating, it was such a joy to listen to them. Bojan ?i?i? in particular, deserves much praise for his virtuoso performance of the Vivaldi concerti, and also the Biber Passacaglia for solo violin; his clarity of articulation was exemplary, as was his beauty of tone in the slower movements. That, coupled with the ensemble’s total mastery of the Baroque style, made for a truly memorable concert.

For a few hours, the pressures and events of modern life were put to one side, as the capacity audience listened attentively to the concert.

Review by Russell Dawson