Miguel Navarro
Staff Writer
The Cornucopia Baroque Ensemble performed “Music of Telemann,” at noon Sept. 11 in Lyman Hall at Pomona College. The concert was part of the Claremont Colleges weekly Friday concert series.
Before an audience of approximately 60 people, the eight-person ensemble performed three pieces from the discography of the German Baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann.
“When we’re done, and we have imparted to the audience, it’s beautiful to get this response,” flute player Sherill Herring said. “You feel like you’re filling this giant bucket and then it comes back to you at the end.”
The crowd was excited when the ensemble took the stage and received a standing ovation before the concert began.
The program featured Sonata à 4 in G minor, followed by Sonata à 3 in E minor and closed with Sonata à 4 in G major.
The setlist was broken up into three pieces by Telemann, with each having around four different movements which shifted between tempos.
As the concert went along, the ensemble shifted from more serious sounds and began to play a happier tone by the end.
Sonata à 4 in G minor opened the set with energy and emotion, creating a dramatic feel through its quick rhythmic movements.
In this piece, there are five instruments: flute, oboe, violin, continuo and harpsichord.
The tone of the song presented a darker atmosphere and created a sense of tension throughout the piece.
The first movement, Affettuoso, opened the piece with a slower tempo; however, in the final portion, the tempo picked up and finished with hopefulness.
The leader of the ensemble, Graydon Beeks, enjoyed the opportunity to express some of the qualities that make Telemann’s music so unique.
“Telemann has this ability to write in minor keys and sound happy,” Beeks said. “There are a couple of pieces like that movement where he does that.”
Sonata à 3 in E minor featured the flute, violin, lute, harpsichord and cello.
This piece rotated between slower and faster tempos, creating an interesting perspective on the work of Telemann.
Sonata à 4 in G major closed the performance. It featured flute, violin, violas de gamba, lute and harpsichord.
The cover of this song emphasized energy and had a quick-moving tempo and a brighter sound compared to the previous songs.
Beeks described this piece as having the most characteristics of Telemann’s musical style.
“The last movement is kind of a Telemann specialty,” Beeks said. “The sequence of chords going around the circle of fifths is very typical of Telemann.”
The ensemble closed with a standing ovation, and Beeks hoped the audience left with a good impression of the group.
“I think the joy of the virtuosic playing … and they really have difficult things to play and their joy of playing them well,” Beeks said.
Other members of the ensemble valued the opportunity to play in front of a live audience and used it to convey emotion.
“I always try to be playing in the moment and thinking ahead to where the phrase is going to move to, and sometimes you have to be physical to give it some direction,” violin player Alfred Cramer said.
For the audience, the Friday Concert series allowed them to enjoy Baroque music in a local setting.
“I hadn’t heard anything really about the L.A. music scene before I came here,” concert attendee Derek Putnan said.
For up-and-coming musicians like Putnan, it allows them to interact with established professionals in the field.
“It’s a small ensemble, so it’s more likely that you can actually talk to them,” Putnan said.
“Hopefully one day I will have some part in it and not just as an audience member.”
The Friday Concert series is free to all. The next concert will be Sept. 18 at Pomona College.
For more information, visit pomona.edu/academics/departments/music/concert-calendar.
Miguel Navarro can be reached at miguel.navarro@laverne.edu.
Miguel Navarro is a senior journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism, and is a staff writer for the Campus Times. He also serves as a broadcaster at the University of La Verne, and he hopes to one day work in sports media.
