“Music of the Baroque: Minkowski Conducts”

***** French conductor Marc Minkowski and his exceptional conducting were on display this past weekend at the Harris Theatre, in downtown Chicago, and at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, in Skokie. I was in the audience for the latter to see a humble man dressed in street clothes do wonders with the Music of the Baroque Orchestra. His whole demeanor was utterly charming! With no score in front of him and no podium, he conducted George Frideric Handel’s Concerto grosso in F Major, op. 3, no. 4, HWV 315 followed by Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Suite from “Les Boréades”, and finally Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major (Jupiter), K.551.

The program started off with the Handel. The opening movement began with the sweet sounds of the violin and the intense cello (Ana Kim and Anna Steinhoff) and double bass (Collins Trier and Jonathan Cegys), and ended with oboe (Jennet Ingle and Erica Anderson). The Andante movement featured a lovely oboe solo (Ingle) and beautifully executed violin solo (Kathleen Brauer). The light and chirpy Allegro was notable by the bassoon solo (Lewis Kirk). Of course, what would a concert be in this day and age without someone’s phone ringing during this section? Luckily for us, it only rang only once…. Minkowski often had his main soloists and duetists stand as they played their parts.

It was only after conducting the Handel that Minkowski spoke about the program and made an incredible connection with the audience. He started out in French, then switched to English. He was excited about performing the Rameau, and I could palpably feel his affinity for that composition. “Les Boréades” was the last opera that Rameau had written, and what followed was a detailed explanation about the opera’s libretto its eight musical components. Basically, the story is about a princess given a choice between two rich and arrogant men to marry, but she is really in love with a poor shepherd boy (whom she eventually marries). The suite begins with a triumphant entry and then several dances. The Gavottes I and II, for example, are noted by their heavy percussive, oboe, and bassoon. The most remarkable section was the “Entracte—les Vents”, which was characterized by flute duets by Mary Stolper and Alyce Johnson—and then the percussionist (Douglas Waddell) turned on the wind machine! How exciting! The piccolo duet (Stolper and Johnson) and bassoon quarter notes were distinctive in the Gavottes pour les Heures et les Zéphirs section, just as the French horns (Gail Williams and Neil Kimmel) were predominant in the Entrée de Polymnie section. The harpsichord (Stephen Altop) was wonderfully present throughout the entire composition.

After an intermission, Mozart was on the agenda, with the Jupiter Symphony: one of Minkowski’s professed favorites. Since January 27th happens to be the day when Mozart died, this was most perfect time to hear this majestic composition, which was Mozart’s final symphonic work. However, I found it interesting that this particular performance sounded a bit thin. Ironically, that’s because it was being played by the type of Baroque orchestra that Mozart had originally called for—as compared to the fuller, modern symphony orchestra, whose sound we might have grown accustomed to over the years.

Strings and kettle drum are prominent in the Allegro Vivace section, whereas the Andante cantabile section features arpeggio sequences between main melodies. The solo flute (Stolper) and solo oboe (Ingle) are worthy of comment in the Menuetto section, while the closing Molto allegro is rapid and forceful, builds up to a climax, and then goes back into a soft section featuring French horn—and then builds all over again to the very end. The counterpoint in the finale cannot be excelled!

We initially thought the program had concluded with the Jupiter Symphony. Instead, Minkowski returned and said to the audience, “What could be better than that?” The harpsichordist returned, and the orchestra then played a shortened version of the Entrée de Polymnie movement of the Rameau, which we had heard earlier on. But this version seemed dreamier and different for some reason. The two bassoonists (Kirk and Hanna Sterba) made this piece noteworthy.

At the end of the concert, Minkowski bowed with his hands flat against his thighs and crossed his arms over his chest as a demonstration of affection as the audience applauded. He showed his high regard for the musicians by walking from row to row among the different sections of the orchestra to recognize everybody and shake the hands of the first chair of each section.

What a wonderful introduction to this supremely personable and highly skilled guest conductor!

“Minkowski Conducts”, Music of the Baroque was performed on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance, in Millennium Park, 205 W. Randolph Drive, in Chicago, at 7:30 p.m.

This was followed by a performance on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 N. Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie, at 3:00 p.m.

On Friday, January 31st, on demand performances, begin at 5:00 p.m.
On-demand tickets are $15 plus a $3 handling fee, for a total of $18.

For more information about this concert and future performances of Music of the Baroque, including times, dates, and locations, please go to: https://www.baroque.org/.

Music of the Baroque is a resident company of the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. To learn more about the venue, their future offerings, and ticket prices, visit: https://northshorecenter.org/.

To learn more about the Harris Theater, their future offerings, and ticket prices, go to: https://www.harristheaterchicago.org/.