A program that reveals what Baroque music was for
The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra’s (ABO) final concerts of the season took place at the 1931-era Glenn Memorial Church on the Emory University campus, a venue defined by its columns, warm lighting, and agreeable acoustics.
At first glance, the program suggested a survey of familiar Baroque repertoire. On closer inspection, it revealed something more deliberate: a progression of how Baroque music functioned—from public display to private reflection, from instrumental elegance to sacred proclamation. Presented in the order of Telemann, Graupner, Bach’s B minor Suite, and finally Bach’s Ascension Oratorio, the evening unfolded as a map of what music did in civic life, personal devotion, courtly culture, and the church.
“Music of ceremony and announcement”
Georg Philipp Telemann — Concerto for 3 Trumpets and Timpani, TWV 54:D3
The concert opened in the most outward-facing way possible. Telemann’s concerto belongs to the world of ceremony and announcement—music designed to project authority and festivity into large spaces.
Natural (valveless) trumpets defined the sound: bright, direct, and harmonically grounded rather than fluidly chromatic. The writing favors clear block sonorities and rhythmic propulsion, with the three trumpets often moving together to create a unified brilliance rather than contrapuntal interplay.
There were a few moments early on where ensemble alignment felt slightly unsettled—likely the kind of adjustment that can occur at the start of a program. The trumpets themselves, however, were secure and stylistically assured. Their placement to the side of the ensemble, with bells facing inward, created a more blended effect, though it slightly reduced the projection that gives this music its ceremonial impact.
“Music as private spiritual discernment”
Christoph Graupner — Cantata “Ihr Lieben, glaubet nicht einem jeglichen Geist,” GWV 1140/45
If Telemann projects outward, Graupner turns inward. This cantata represents music as private spiritual discernment—less proclamation than reflection.
A near-contemporary of Bach, Graupner spent his career in Darmstadt, composing a vast number of cantatas that remained unpublished and largely unknown for centuries. He was notably a leading candidate for the Leipzig Thomaskantor position before Bach was ultimately appointed. As Atlanta Baroque Orchestra music director Julie Andrijeski noted, this work may have received its U.S. premiere—making its inclusion here particularly significant.
The music reflects that inward function directly. Textures are lean, gestures rhetorical, and the lines probe rather than project, aligning with the text’s warning to “test the spirits.” Harmonic turns carry expressive weight, and the pacing invites the listener to follow the argument rather than simply react to it.
Tenor Thomas Cooley carried the work with a voice of warmth, presence, and notably clear diction, projecting easily without forcing. A brief technical interruption—his tablet momentarily going blank—was handled with ease and humor and did little to disrupt the flow.
“Music as cultivated social art”
Johann Sebastian Bach — Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067
From introspection, the program moved into the realm of courtly refinement. Bach’s suite reflects the French dance tradition, where music functions as cultivated social art—elegant, stylized, and balanced.
The opening overture establishes a formal frame with its stately dotted rhythms and fugal continuation, followed by a sequence of dances that transform physical movement into musical character. Each is defined by rhythm and gesture rather than literal dance.
Flutist Ellen Sauer Tanyeri shaped the performance with a graceful, stylistically attuned approach. The traverso’s softer, more veiled sound—especially in historically informed performance—creates a different balance than modern interpretations. Rather than dominating, the flute weaves through the texture, at times emerging, at times blending.
The result was intimate and finely detailed. The Badinerie, often treated as a virtuosic showpiece, retained its lightness and buoyancy without exaggeration—very much in keeping with the suite’s function as refined entertainment rather than display for its own sake.
“Music as sacred proclamation”
Johann Sebastian Bach — Ascension Oratorio, BWV 11
The program concluded with Bach’s Ascension Oratorio, returning to the sacred sphere at its most public and celebratory. This is music designed for a major feast day, where theology is not only reflected upon but proclaimed.
The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra was joined by tenor Thomas Cooley, countertenor Doug Dodson, soprano Carrie Anne Wilson, and baritone/conductor Michael Dauterman, along with the Glenn Memorial UMC Chancel Choir.
Because of space limitations, soloists entered from the sides near the altar area, introducing a degree of visual distraction, though understandable given the setting. Balance between orchestra and choir was well judged, allowing the choral writing to register clearly.
Cooley again stood out for the consistency of his vocal presence and clarity. Dauterman contributed a grounded baritone while guiding the ensemble effectively. Doug Dodson was especially compelling in the upper register, though lower passages were occasionally less settled. Carrie Anne Wilson blended effectively within the ensemble, though her lighter, head-focused sound was less prominent in fuller textures.
A brief moment—a broken string for violinist Even Few—required a quick exit and return, adding a touch of unintended percussive punctuation to the proceedings.
Encore and Atmosphere
The encore—a Baroque-style Hallelujah by George Frideric Handel—was a highlight. Performed with appropriately scaled forces, it offered clarity and rhythmic lift often lost in larger, more Romanticized interpretations.
Not all contributions came from the stage. An audience member nearby joined in audibly, and not always in tune—an instance where enthusiasm overtook discretion. Combined with the noticeably cool temperature in the church, these extraneous factors subtly shaped the overall experience.
Closing Perspective
If there were moments that invited small reservations, they were outweighed by the broader achievement. The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra continues to present thoughtful, historically informed programs that illuminate not just the music, but the purposes it once served.
Heard this way, the evening traced a clear arc: ceremony → reflection → refinement → proclamation
Even with the occasional imperfection—musical or otherwise—the performance offered a compelling reminder that Baroque music is not a single style, but a set of functions, each brought to life with care and conviction by the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra.
Highlights from the Interview
A thoughtfully constructed program tracing the functions of Baroque music
A rare (possibly U.S. premiere) performance of Christoph Graupner
Thomas Cooley’s consistently strong vocal presence and diction
Stylistically refined playing from flutist Ellen Sauer Tanyeri
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