The stage setup for Tafelmusik‘s House of Dreams is the first indication that this is no ordinary early music concert. Floating above the stage hangs a large projection screen made to look like a Renaissance painting, complete with gilded frame. A harpsichord occupies center stage, flanked by regal wingback chair on one side and a simple wooden chair and small table on the other. A long row of chairs lurking in the background is the only sign that an entire orchestra will soon appear onstage.
Hailing from Toronto, Tafelmusik tours extensively throughout the world, performing music from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Founded in 1979, the ensemble also experiments with new ways to share their passion about early music through multimedia concerts. House of Dreams is their latest creation, combining the music of Baroque composers like Bach, Telemann, Handel, and Vivaldi with masterpieces of art and architecture from the same era. Last Thursday, Tafelmusik performed House of Dreams to a packed house at University of Washington’s Meany Hall.
Developed by Alison Mackay, Tafelmusik’s bassist, House of Dreams takes audiences on a journey through historical houses in the cities of London, Leipzig, Paris, Venice, and Delft. The golden-framed screen is our visual portal to this whirlwind tour, allowing us to take a peek inside each home. The camera pans across the finely-decorated rooms, zooming in on the paintings hanging on the walls. These homes certainly weren’t owned by paupers — the collections on display include works by Rembrandt, Watteau, Canaletto, and Vermeer. Though this virtual tour is no substitute for experiencing these paintings in person, it’s fun to see close-up shots of famous masterpieces like Canaletto’s Venetian harbor scene and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.
The stories of the five houses are tied together by a loose narrative based on a passage about dreams from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Actor Blair Williams serves as tour guide, providing details and factoids about each home, its inhabitants, and the artistic culture of the time. Though a bit cheesy at times, the narrative is engaging and informative, painting a vivid picture of life in the Baroque era. We get a peek into the bustling daily routine of Handel’s London townhouse, where paintings by Continental masters presided over rehearsals for the composer’s operas. In Leipzig, we visit the home of J.S. Bach’s wealthy neighbor, Georg Heinrich Bose, an avid patron of the arts who may have invited Bach’s family over for recitals in his sumptuous music room.
Despite all of this, the music remains the star of the show. Ample gaps in the narrative allow for plenty of opportunities to appreciate the wide variety of pieces on the program, from concerti to works intended for the opera or ballet. The musicians moved around the stage throughout the performance to indicate changes or transitions in the music. During solo sections, the ensemble would part to make room for the soloist to walk to the front of the stage. A subtle way to underscore the musical structure of each piece, this simple choreography was one of the most effective aspects of the performance, bringing a sense of movement and fluidity to the stage.
As an ensemble, Tafelmusik operates like a well-oiled machine. The group performed the entire 90-minute program from memory, including the stage choreography. Though Music Director Jeanne Lamon often acts as conductor, all the works in House of Dreams were ensemble-directed, emphasizing the collaborative aspect of early music performance. Different musicians stepped into leadership roles at various times in the program. Nearly every member of the ensemble got a chance to be in the spotlight for a solo, duo, or trio section.
The program showcased the ensemble’s versatility, jumping from country to country. Inspired performances in a set of sparkling Vivaldi concerti movements highlighted lute, oboe, bassoon, and cello. A suite of movements from Marais’ opera Alcyone, accompanied by Williams’ dramatic rendition of the libretto, brought the story to life, depicting a tearful farewell, a raging storm at sea (complete with claps of thunder from a bass drum), and a joyous homecoming.
With its multimedia format and focus on narrative, House of Dreams presents early music in an appealing package that’s accessible to a wide range of people, including children. It does this while remaining true to the music, history, and performance practices that serve as Tafelmusik’s foundation. Yet a quick scan of the audience at Thursday’s concert showed an obvious lack of diversity in the crowd. Where were all the young people, all the families? House of Dreams is a perfect opportunity to reach out to new audiences while providing a fresh perspective for early music devotees. It’s encouraging to see such a good turnout for Tafelmusik and House of Dreams. I’m dreaming of more — that creative events like this will serve as a launching pad for future generations of early music fans.
