The Miracle of Ernen

The term 'baroque' was derived from the Portuguese word ‘barocco’. The word originally comes from the jeweller's trade and refers to pearls that were irregularly shaped. These imperfections created by nature make them precious and unique. Rough sounds and ‘natural’ unsmoothed surfaces are also a quality feature of baroque music - this is precisely what characterises playing on historical wind and string instruments and enables magnificent soundscapes full of stirring emotions.

Aernen Barock has probably long been close to your heart. Over many years, the ensemble has formed into a well-rehearsed group under the direction of Australian-born Deirdre Dowling, who plays in the most important baroque ensembles in France and the Netherlands, and Ada Pesch, who, in addition to the baroque concerts in Ernen, also founded the Orchestra La Scintilla at Zurich Opera House, which specialises in historical instruments. The wealth of experience of the individual musicians comes together in the ensemble, which Pesch describes as the "miracle of Ernen".

Double concertos for two oboes
For example in Aernen Baroque's interpretations of the works for two oboes: they appear like a small ritual in the five baroque concertos. The pieces were written by Antonio Lotti, Jacques-Martin Hotteterre, Johann David Heinichen and Georg Friedrich Händel. There is also one by Giovanni Battista Sammartini: his double oboe concerto is a rarity and will receive its Swiss premiere in Musikdorf. Josep Domènech and Xenia Löffler will play the solo parts. A double bonanza: both are masters of their craft. Löffler's playing epitomises the ideal sound of the baroque oboe, one could read recently. She plays the solo oboe in the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, while the Catalan-born player is a member of the Freiburger Barockorchester - two of the best original sound ensembles in the world.

Goosebumps guaranteed
The sound of the oboe is often compared to the human voice. Like the voice, the oboe can sound sensually eloquent, tender, shrill or melancholic, depending on how it is played. It takes a lot for a musician to master the oboe in such a way that its sound gives you goose bumps. The sound is produced by a double reed, i.e. two thin, vibrating wooden plates that lie on top of each other. This requires a great deal of strength and excellent breathing technique from the players.

Speaking of the human voice
In addition to the oboes, there will also be two vocal soloists to delight the audience: Dorothee Mields and Krystian Adam. The German soprano Mields is one of the most sought-after baroque specialists. She presents a programme dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach's festive wedding cantatas. She sings the spring-like cantata ‘Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten’ and has also put together a ‘Cantate imaginaire’ with some of the most beautiful arias and instrumental pieces by Johann Sebastian and his distant uncle Johann Christian Bach. Other rarities not to be missed are in the French programme: the cantatas "Arbres espais" by Pierre Guillaume Barré and "Le retour de la paix" by Michel Pignolet de Montéclair.

The Polish tenor Krystian Adam has already triumphed at the most important opera houses as the title character in Claudio Monteverdi's epoch-making opera "L'Orfeo". He will also be singing music by the opera pioneer in Ernen, namely the famous "Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorindo", a dramatic madrigal that impressively depicts the battle scene between two secret lovers. Also not to be missed: Adam brings rarely heard baroque treasures from his Polish homeland to the Musikdorf.

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Written in December 2024, by Marianne Mühlemann (translated by Jonathan Inniger)