Review - Another Charming Early Music Concert in Edmonton

From Sound and Noise - University of Alberta Music Students on Music
November 23, 2011

Early music is thriving in Edmonton. Two of the most important figures in Edmonton’s early music scene, Josephine van Lier and Marnie Giesbrecht, presented a brief but enjoyable concert in Convocation Hall on Monday. The concert featured three key elements: the cello sonatas of Luigi Boccherini (nope, not the tasty cheese), the violoncello piccolo, and the University of Alberta’s new continuo organ.

Boccherini was a virtuosic cellist and this showed in his compositions. Using her violoncello piccolo (“small cello” in Italian), van Lier handled the two sonatas in A-major with ease. Her confident playing let the audience forget about the difficulty of the music and simply enjoy its beauty. She and Giesbrecht enjoyed themselves immensely on stage, evident in both their engaging collaboration and their friendly presentation to the audience. Giesbrecht, as always, played wonderfully and was a fine partner to van Lier.

Edmonton is lucky to have these two artists promoting the enchanting, pre-1800 repertoire.

http://thesoundandnoise.com/2011/11/23/another-charming-early-music-concert-in-edmonton/