Great Barrington — If Boston is a hotbed of early music, then Berkshire County serves as its bucolic counterpart—a haven where early music aficionados can enjoy world-class performances of works by J.S. Bach, his predecessors, and his contemporaries without needing to travel to Boston or New York City. Such performances are sustained by the generous financial support of local early-music enthusiasts, who fund organizations such as The Berkshire Bach Society (BBS), Aston Magna, and Crescendo. Ticket sales are never enough to cover a presenting organization’s expenses, so when you attend one of their performances, you can thank all the donors who bridged the gap and made your ticket affordable.
The personnel in these groups include high-profile musicians from around the world. For example, GRAMMY-winning violinist Eugene Drucker is BBS artistic director, and Crescendo’s concertmaster is violinist and early-music specialist Edson Sheid. Many of the players have performed with such elite ensembles as The Knights, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Lyra Baroque Orchestra, and others in the U.S. and abroad.
On December 29, Crescendo presented a program of Christmas oratorios at Saint James Place, highlighted by J.S. Bach’s fifth cantata of his Christmas Oratorio “Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen,“ BWV 248. Led by Christine Gevert, the Crescendo Chorus of 40 singers, four professional soloists, and the Crescendo Period Instrument Orchestra gave spirited performances of works by Johann Schelle, Johann Rosenmüller, Philipp Erlebach, Jeremias du Grain, and Dieterich Buxtehude. The program also included unaccompanied contemporary choral works by Emily Drum, MaryAnne Muglia, and Christine Donkin. The Crescendo musicians were in top form and obviously having fun.
At the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on December 31, the Berkshire Bach Society gave its annual New Year’s performance of J.S. Bach’s six “Brandenburg” concertos, led by BBS Artistic Director Eugene Drucker. Each year, BBS plays the show in three venues: the Academy of Music in Northampton, Mass.; the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, N.Y.; and the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. With these musicians, you always get a high level of professionalism, and December 31 was no exception. You can tell the players enjoy working with Mr. Drucker.
These two concerts exemplify the richness of early-music offerings in the Berkshires.
