Tag Archives: American Classical Orchestra

Who better than the American Classical Orchestra and Chorus to bring us J.S. Bach on period instruments?

The musicians' joy at performing live on stage in a well-tuned concert hall again was visible in their body language as well as audible in their sound.

Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony was a jubilant finish to the American Classical Orchestra's season under Thomas Crawford, showing their mastery of, and ardent feeling for, the classical repertoire.

The venerable original-instruments orchestra presented familiar and seldom-heard works, including Brahms's 'Alto Rhapsody' and music by Schubert and Ferdinand Ries.

With rich harmonics, thrilling tension, and remarkable spatial awareness, the ACO made a thoroughly convincing case for how worthwhile it is to make the effort to present works like Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 with original instruments.

Earthly Love and Celestial Love battle for the soul of Mary Magdalene in Caldara's rarely performed oratorio 'Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo.'

The contrast between classical-period instruments and modern ones is a bit like that between an original vinyl recording and a CD remastering.

I've heard it said many times and I agree that the period-instrument movement was one of the two or three most refreshing and lifeblood-giving events in a century to keep classical music alive.