Parnassus Avenue Baroque, Live at NPR

Nerissa Paglinauan, NPR

David Tyler of Parnassus Avenue Baroque playing a 'theorbo.'

Interview Excerpts

 How the group formed

 The Baroque v. Modern cello

In December 2002, the members of early music ensemble Parnassus Avenue Baroque visited NPR to perform and discuss their work. Today's program features two pieces from that performance, plus a bit of their interview with NPR's Fred Child.

The quartet was formed in San Francisco a little over three years ago by four established artists on the early music scene: recorder player Dan Laurin, harpsichordist Hanneke van Proosdij, lute player David Tayler and cellist Tanya Tomkins. Their goal was to present imaginative programs of eighteenth-century music.

The pieces aired during today's program are both by Italian composers: the Sonata in E Major, Op. 5, No. 11 by Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) and the Sonata in D Minor for Two Recorders by Guiseppe Sammartini (1695-1750). Program notes provided by Parnassus are below.

"The Opus 5 violin sonatas by Arcangelo Corelli are among the most published works ever. The greatly admired collection was printed more than a record forty times in the 18th century, and generations of composers copied the music and learned the sonata form by studying the twelve sonatas.

"The collection is divided into two parts. The first six are called Sonate di chiesa and have more intricate, abstract counterpoint, whereas the six remaining sonatas, the Sonate di camera, have more dance-like movements in what seems to be an Italian version of the French suite form. The E-Major Sonata is a playful story told in five inspired movements, in which the composer seems to combine the learned wit of the Sonata da chiesa with the more relaxed entertainment of the Sonata da camera.

"The first broad preludio gives way to a bouncing allegro with plenty of room for both parts to display eloquent passagework. A brief adagio allows players and listeners alike to take a breath and prepare for the intelligent counterpoint of the fourth movement, and the sonata concludes with a gavotta.

"The Sonata in D-Minor by Giuseppe Sammartini has been a long-time favorite with recorder players despite some odd stylistic features. In the third movement, for example, the setting is rather unique, with the two top parts playing repeated notes in a slow tempo, whereas the bass line and the chord progression are slow with very little motion.

"We decided to play the repeated notes like a string pizzicato and David added a flowing part for the cello to connect the chord changes with the static expression of the recorders. The effect is that of halted emotion, a standstill before the eruptions of the last movement."