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Concert Review: Trombones outshine cornetti at R&B concert
Monday, March 20, 2000 By Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Writer
Born of humble origins yet played at the highest courts of Europe, the Renaissance cornetto had its day in the sun and then faded. While musical fashion is typically associated with compositional trends, instruments also can go out of fashion. Once held in great esteem, this slightly curved, lip-vibrated woodwind instrument with a trumpet-like sound fell into obscurity in the late 18th century.
It's still obscure. But a concert that felt a bit like an archeological exhibit found the cornetto regaling audiences again Saturday at Synod Hall in Oakland. For the most part, the exhibitors, Concerto Palatino, proved able musicians in this Renaissance and Baroque Society event. Bruce Dickey, the director, and Charles Toet founded the ensemble in 1987 to revive the instrument. The three trombone and two cornetto players hail from around the globe.
Although any true revival of the cornetto remains unlikely, hearing it offers some invaluable lessons to musicians and audiences alike.
For audiences comes the reminder that music is a part of the social fabric, not absolute and above it. The cornetto flourished in the Renaissance and early Baroque primarily because of its ability to imitate not just the voice but also the prevailing style of vocalization. In an era when singing was king, it did as the Romans did. Evolved from the primitive animal horn, the cornetto became the favored instrument of wind bands. But from the late Baroque period onward, when string instruments and dramatic singing (opera) began to dominate, the cornetto no longer reflected widespread taste.
For musicians comes a greater understanding of what some composers envisioned, with several pieces that survive today to be played by modern instruments. Daniel Speer's Sonata a 5, for instance, is still occasionally heard. Concerto Palatino performed it nimbly and with an active and imaginative articulation of phrase. The cornetti produced a pliable tone that was much lighter and delicate than could be heard on the trumpet.
Singers could take heed, as well. The 16th and 17th centuries prized the cornetto for its ability to sound like a human voice. In turn, modern singers of this repertory might learn something about their art from the agile instrument.
Concerto Palatino took the audience through an abridged tour of the repertory for Renaissance and Baroque wind band with cornetto. But the supporting cast -- the period trombone trio -- stole the show. Ole-Kristian Andersen, Wim Becu and Toet played with letter-perfect ensemble and with sumptuous sound. For most of the concert, they were the foundation of the music, but Francisco Guerrero's "To dorado cabello" showcased them alone, and Samuel Scheidt's fanfare-like "Intrada a 5" -- a musical duel between the cornetti -- featured a virtuosic part for bass trombone handled smoothly by Becu.
That the trombones all but upstaged the cornetto players is simply because the second cornetto player, Doron David Sherwin, paled in comparison to Dickey. While Dickey played with confidence and practically spoke words through his instrument, Sherwin missed notes, clipped phrases and played with little purpose. That the cornetto is a difficult instrument to master doesn't excuse poor playing on the stage. The resulting imbalance hurt the effectiveness of several pieces, especially those suffused with imitation.
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