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Founded
in 1988, Música Ficta is an Early Music group hailing from
Colombia, in South America. The musicians specialise in music from
the New World era (1550-1750) and the rich Spanish musical legacy
between 1350 and 1600. Unfortunately, opportunity did not permit
me to attend the previous night of Spanish music - but the chance
to hear music from the Baroque period in Peru was a unique one indeed.
Being
the purist that I am, I was very much looking forward to seeing
and hearing South American musicians playing South American music
- going by the programme of songs, dances and other instrumental
pieces, I expected a lively night of music-making, in the best of
Baroque/Late Renaissance tradition.
But
I was mistaken. It slowly dawned on me, as the concert went on,
that apparently, the music of this era and place is very different
from the style currently established in mainstream European Early
Music performance. Música Ficta insists on a soft and low-key
approach to all the music, be it sacred or secular, meditative or
"wild". Even when shawms and percussion are employed,
the musicians maintained an unusual degree of 'civility' which I
must confess I am not used to.
The
overall atmosphere of the concert was very genteel and intimate.
Lead voice, Jairo Serrano has a pleasant vocal tone, if short in
terms of projection range. Though it was sweet to listen to, I did
wish he would emote more, for example in Caravinas saon,
or the supposedly "bitter love song" of Sepan todos
que muero - which made little impression. Of the entire ensemble,
Daniel Zuluaga on guitar and theorbo was the liveliest - his solo
pieces were tranquil and beautiful. But even with him, I felt that
there was a deliberate attempt by all the musicians to undercut
the potential vibrancy of the music. For example, in the Recorder
Sonata by Zipoli, the soloist's style is predominantly legato-ish,
with very soft staccato. Though the reading was melodic, it lacked
that last ounce of spriteliness and finesse, lacking strong expressivity.
The
overall result of these characteristics seems to create a sense
of over-cautiousness in the ensemble, making them seem short on
chemistry.
Speaking
of expressiveness, it was very unhelpful that the programme notes
did not provide any description of the individual pieces, or vocal
texts where appropriate. There were times when Música Ficta
were performing some lament, or prayer, or secular song with obvious
dramatic content - and one wondered what on earth they were singing.
The group did on occasion introduce the pieces, but these descriptions
were at best brief.
I would
sit up everytime a percussion instrument was unveiled - in the realm
of Early Music, instrumental song and dances are among the most
exuberant things in all "classical music". Música
Ficta described the Zapateo as a "wild dance",
and the finale - Esa noche yo baila - as a "pagan piece"
in the dialect of the black slaves, and that it would be very "hot"
music. But for me, their performances were anticlimactic, mild,
even dull. Cheery the music may be, but the renditions were nowhere
near "wild"; indeed, the finale was uncomfortably too
civilized.
Perhaps
I am simply spoiled by previous groups who have visited Singapore,
such as Hésperion XX, the Dufay Collective, I Fagiolini,
the Flanders Recorder Quartet and the like; plus I have never before
heard Early Music from Peru. In all my listening experience, successful
Early Music performance always manages to create one or more of
the following qualities: beauty, mystery, intensity, life - and
above all, a certain far-awayness which separates its time from
ours. Música Ficta, in their performance tonight, I'm afraid,
lacked almost all of this. Even if Peruvian Early Music is indeed
meant to be quiet and soft-toned, the general lack of ensemble chemistry
in this concert was its biggest flaw. It was just too too quiet.
CHIA
HAN-LEON
is former Chinese classical flutist and has been listening to early
music since the 12th century.
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18.6.2001 © Chia Han-Leon
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