Last Saturday night a group gathered in Kulas Recital Hall to hear the Oberlin Baroque Ensemble perform a program of primarily French works from the 17th and 18th centuries on period instruments. The ensemble, comprised of the Conservatory’s Early Music program faculty, proved that music written several hundred years ago can be as vibrant as music composed today.

As three of the four members took the stage for the first piece, Sonnerie de Ste. Genevieve du Mont de Paris by Marin Marais (1656-1728), the crowd greeted them enthusiastically. The relentless motor rhythm of the continuo began organically out of the tuning process; soon the concert was under way.

The work by Marais, a Frenchman who probably studied composition with founder of French opera Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632 – 1687), was sprightly and served well as an overture to the evening. It allowed Professor of Violin Marilyn McDonald to showcase both the lyrical and virtuosic shades of the violin. Associate Professor of Viola da Gamba Catharina Meints played the role of continuo, bursting into soloistic flourishes, which gave the work the texture of a trio sonata. Associate Professor of Harpsichord Webb Wiggins faithfully harmonized and supported the strings.

Professor of Recorder and Baroque Flute Michael Lynn was the soloist in the second work, Sonata for Recorder and Continuo by Jean Baptiste Senallié (1687-1730).  Lynn explained that the work was first written for violin and continuo and was later transcribed for recorder in the key of C. Lynn believed, however, that the C recorder was too bright; he chose to perform the piece in a newly revised version for the B-flat recorder.

His supple control in the fast movements and lyrical, singing quality in the slow movements showed that this member of the whistle family did not deserve its associations with elementary school students playing “Hot Cross Buns.” Rather, the recorder has every right to be considered an equal among all beautiful instruments. This rendition was blemished only by a hitch caused by a page turning problem, from which the group coolly recovered.

The ensemble featured McDonald in the virtuosic Sonata in G minor by Gieseppe Tartini (1692-1770), nicknamed “Devil’s Trill.” This gripping sonata has a legend behind it that sounds like an 18th century version of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

As the story goes, Tartini dreamt that he made a pact with the devil, in which he had to give the devil his violin. With the instrument, the devil played such beautiful music that Tartini wished to emulate it.  Although he failed to reproduce the devil’s tunes, Tartini went on to compose the “Devil’s Trill.”

McDonald’s performance reproduced all of the stark qualities that one might expect from a sonata of such a title. Graceful melodies were made into grotesque caricatures by a liberal application of double stops. The occasional use of vibrato idiomatic to the period gave the work a dry and austere effect that more lush romantic interpretations cannot equal. The sheer force of McDonald’s playing had a great impact on the audience, apparent from its enthusiastic response at the conclusion.

Lynn went on to play another solo — this time on Baroque flute, displaying the same prowess he had earlier. The instrument has a haunting and sweet sound that is much easier on the ear than its modern counterpart. The work he chose, Sonata di Chiesa in E minor by Jean Marie Leclair (1703-1777), allowed Lynn to demonstrate all the strengths of this instrument.

The program closed with the “Chaconne” from Deuxiéme Recreation, also by Leclair, featuring all four members in a typical trio-sonata fashion.

Overall, the only minor disappointment of the evening was that Wiggins never had the opportunity to show his great skills as a harpsichord soloist.

The group presented an intimate and candid performance that seemed like four musicians were simply enjoying one another’s music rather than performing for an audience. The informality worked to bring this old music to life in a convincing way. Those privileged enough to be sitting in on this meeting of friends were not disappointed.