Fresh interpretations of an old sound

BY AMANDA FISHER

They generate beautiful orchestral music on instruments that are centuries old.

But Freiburg Baroque Orchestra general manager Hans-Georg Kaiser says the purpose is to offer listeners a new take on the classical music of Bach, Haydn and Mozart, among others.

The orchestra performs a second concert tonight at Wellington Town Hall as part of the New Zealand International Arts Festival.

"We try to play music which we all know, which is in our minds and hearts, [but] play a new aspect and give listeners a new idea of what the composers would have meant," Kaiser says.

The unique sound is in part because some of the musicians' instruments are from the Baroque period (roughly 1600 to 1750) and do not have technical improvements. For example, the violins have strings made from animal gut instead of steel, and woodwind instruments have no keys, just open finger holes.

This gives their music a transparent quality, Kaiser says. "We just have a different understanding of that music, we believe music at the classical time was more transparent.

"We want to have a very transparent sound, where we can hear every instrument in the orchestra."

This is the first trip to New Zealand by the orchestra, which has been described in the New York Times as the liveliest ensemble on the international early music scene.

"We would come more often but it's simply too far away," Kaiser says.

The German orchestra has travelled throughout Europe and to North America, South America and Asia, but passed Australia by.

"We flew over Australia to come [and] we are happy to be here."

The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra started quite differently in 1987 as a string orchestra. Gradually other instruments were added to the mix, as the orchestra moved from chamber to classical orchestra.

"We made this step by step [transition] and we're trying always to keep the quality of the string sound."

Another reason for the orchestra's unique sound is the funding model. As a private orchestra, which receives a small subsidy from the city of Freiburg, the musicians always have to perform well to get invited back. This extracted top performances.

"We . . . have tried to give the music a new face and chance . . . and new audience."

The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra perform Haydn and Mozart at Wellington Town Hall tonight at 7.30.

- © Fairfax NZ News