It is a special treat to have an internationally renowned musician come to Dartmouth. To have two on the same stage is nothing short of amazing.
This is exactly what the Dartmouth community will experience this evening, when Andrew Manze and Richard Egarr perform in Rollins Chapel at 8 p.m.
The two are in the middle of a tour that has already brought them through Australia, France and the Netherlands.
The duo will be playing selections from Correlli, Fontana, Uccellini and Pandolfi, all composers of the "Fantastic Style" of 17th-century Italy.
Manze is a Baroque violinist who has been recognized for his skill and versatility as a soloist, accompanist and conductor. He attended Cambridge University, The Royal Academies of London and The Hague.
In 1996, Manze was named Associate Director of The Academy of Ancient Music. He has been collaborating with Egarr since 1984.
He was named Harmonia Mundi USA's Artist of the Year in 1998 and received a Grammy nomination for his interpretation of Handel's Op. 6.
Manze has worked on CDs with pieces by Biber, Schmelzer, Tartini, Vivaldi, Bach and Handel.
He is a trailblazer in the truest sense of the word, as he has toured in over 30 countries in Europe and the Americas, as well as the Middle and Far East.
The San Francisco Examiner labeled Manze, "The first modern star of baroque violin." The BBC went even further, calling him "the Grappelli of the Baroque."
The resume of harpsichordist Egarr is no less impressive. His adaptability is probably his greatest attribute, as he can work with music ranging from 15th century organ intabulations to modern 20th century piano pieces.
Egarr started his musical career at the age of 13 when he studied piano and organ in Manchester, England. He then went on to study at Cambridge and Guildhall School of Music.
He has worked with compositions by Froberger, Couperin, Locke, Blow, Purcell and Draghi and sonatas by Bach, Handel, and Rebel.
As a conductor, Egarr has excelled with the London Choir "Bel Canto" and with the troupe Rasposo. He was harpsichordist with London Baroque from 1991-95 and is currently the director of The Academy of the Begijnhof in Amsterdam.
The two have worked together before to a great level of critical acclaim. Their 2000 recording of Bach's Violin Sonatas was called, "one of the most important Bach releases of this anniversary," by Classic CD.
Their Oct. 27 performance in College Park, Md. in 2001 was named the top concert of the year by Post-Gazette.com. By taking many risks on both obscure and well-known pieces, the team created a sharp and lively night to remember.
What sets this duo apart from other collaborators is their knack for inventiveness. Rather then recreating the exact compositions they will be working with, the two try to improvise and even embellish the composer's work. They adopt these techniques because the same thing was expected of musicians in earlier centuries.
The Pandolfi and Uccellini compositions in particular offer the duo much room for artistic interpretation.
Manze takes advantage of the open works by varying his bow speed to accommodate the varying emotions and expressive demands of the moment.
In an almost mirroring of his partner, Egarr brings just as much energy and freedom to the harpsichord.
The result of this improvisation is an unmistakable chemistry. This creates an exciting mix of experimentation, imagination and virtuosity, a combination that shows how much Baroque music can have in common with other musical genres.
The influence of Italian music on later Baroque artists will be shown through the works of Corelli and Bonporti.
By approaching this challenging task of recreating seemingly unknown sonatas with such gusto and ingenuity, the team of Manze and Egarr makes the pieces sound as if they were written only a few days ago, rather than 400 years ago.
Tonight's concert is one of the most anticipated musical performances this term --the show sold out several weeks ago.
The decision to hold the concert in the majestic Rollins Chapel makes Manze and Egarr's trip to Hanover even that much more special.
The lucky few who were able to score tickets for tonight's performance are in for a wonderful musical experience.
