REBEL

I first came to know the REBEL ensemble last spring when they gave a stunning performance of Vivaldi's works in the magnificent Kiggins Hall on the beautiful campus of Emma Willard School. Tonight I was fortunate to attend another concert by this enchanting group, named after the innovative French Baroque composer Jean-Féry Rebel.

Aptly titled An Angel's Voice—The Legend of Farinelli, the program began with excerpts from Georg Friederich Händel's Alcina and ended with an aria from his Flavio. A countertenor (Derek Lee Ragin), accompanied by two violins (Jörg-Michael Schwarz and Karen Marie Marmer), one viola (Peter Bucknell), one cello (John Moran), one bass (Anne Trout), and one harpsichord (Dongsok Shin), delighted a rapt audience for over two mesmerizing hours with musical selections from Antonio Vivaldi, Giuseppe Torelli, Johann Adolf Hasse, Riccardo Broschi, Tomaso Albinoni, and Nicola Porpora.

Without a conductor before them, I am fascinated by how the six instrumentalists communicated among themselves throughout the concert via a simple eye contact, head nod, and hand gesture here and there—all very subtle and precise. Their perfect coordination led to highly sophisticated and expressive strings, thus making a memorable night.