Tag Archives: American Classical Orchestra

The vast and beautiful Church of St. Vincent Ferrer on Manhattan's East Side was an apt setting for Bach's cantatas.

Musicians of the ACO enveloped us in the pure joy of sweet-sounding, often deeply inspired chamber music of the Rococo period by J.C. Bach, Michael Haydn, and Mozart.

A period-instrument concert revealed Mozart and Beethoven as they were heard in their own time, including a concerto played on the fortepiano.

Who better than the American Classical Orchestra and Chorus to bring us J.S. Bach on period instruments?

The musicians' joy at performing live on stage in a well-tuned concert hall again was visible in their body language as well as audible in their sound.

Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony was a jubilant finish to the American Classical Orchestra's season under Thomas Crawford, showing their mastery of, and ardent feeling for, the classical repertoire.

The venerable original-instruments orchestra presented familiar and seldom-heard works, including Brahms's 'Alto Rhapsody' and music by Schubert and Ferdinand Ries.

With rich harmonics, thrilling tension, and remarkable spatial awareness, the ACO made a thoroughly convincing case for how worthwhile it is to make the effort to present works like Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 with original instruments.

Earthly Love and Celestial Love battle for the soul of Mary Magdalene in Caldara's rarely performed oratorio 'Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo.'

The contrast between classical-period instruments and modern ones is a bit like that between an original vinyl recording and a CD remastering.