BREMF: The Cosmopolitan Baroque – Harmonia Artificiosa

Harmonia Artificiosa, otherwise Elicia Silverstein and John McKean, are a class act originally from the States. McKean is working his way to a doctorate in musicology at Cambridge, studying scores and developing musicianship. Their stylish performance was certainly not blandly academic. Silverstein’s virtuosity and McKean’s informed and supportive accompaniment make a winning combination. They followed the theme of the Grand Tour from Venice to Milan, to Salzburg and then Rome. The close acoustic made this repertoire very intense, with florid violin passages taking flight and then ending abruptly, stopping dead. We were treated to musical fireworks a few days early.

Latest Music Bar, 1 November 2014

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