yes! conducting his big orchestra. Distorted face, looking like he is dying on stage, rolling eyes, jumping, making everybody move … as he moves, breathe … as he breathes, jump … as he blinks, cry … as he raises his eyebrow… and does magic with his bow. He goes by the name of Enrico Onofri these days. His orchestra today was called the European Union Baroque Orchestra: a bunch of very talented young musicians, enjoying playing together, playing with the Master, feeling privileged because they got to do so; moving everyone. A great program, the big star was Geminiani’s Follia, also played as the second (yes!) encore. A mostly Italian program, it nevertheless included a deliciously French-sounding Muffat Sonata (from Armonico Tributo); well, French-sounding most of the time, except for that bit near the end of the breathtaking Chaconne (it seems it is called Passagaglia, but as everyone knows …) where they went all Italian, making it sound like a completely (and disconcertingly!) different piece. What else can I say? Absolute mastery of pretty much everything: bow, left hand, expression, imagination, baroque experimentation… in a word (or two): “pure” Baroque.
Not a bit less good was yesterday’s concert, where Onofri conducted the Imaginarium Ensemble, seconded by the also amazing Alessandro Tampieri — a genius of the violin, the lute and the viola, who plays like an angel (or perhaps like a devil?) and looks like this mischievous kid who’s just been caught and is putting his best disconcerted face. A very comprehensive program of Italian Baroque from Cima to Vivaldi, two astonishing virtuosi having fun on stage playing together, two good friends enjoying playing (and dancing!) together. All passion, (ok, and technique, if somewhat “unorthodox”, from the way they hold the violin to their bowings, to … ), all “mezzo-niente”. Both very BIG (as virtuosi and also as in Big Italian Gestures ;-). A very well chosen and beautifully played “finale”, Vivaldi’s Follia, made a usually shy British audience roar and shout “bravos” and “encores”; it made me feel like I was, well … levitating (while dancing it, that is!). Giles said I looked like I was going to go backstage and hug someone — and I guess I could have done, if I hadn’t been made aware of it ;-)
The end of this year’s Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music (Top Marks for this edition!), and The Best of The Best.


