April 2010 Spotlight: Brookings Chamber Music Society + Flanders Recorder Quartet
Brookings Chamber Music Society in Brookings, South Dakota, presented Flanders Recorder Quartet in February 2010.
This Performing Arts Fund–supported engagement featured a innovative performance entitled Banchetto Musical (1400-2005) -– Symphonie de 7 Degustations and included a presentation to university music-appreciation students and a pre-performance talk. Hailing from Belgium, the Flanders Recorder Quartet is composed of four well-known recorder players: Bart Spanhove, Tom Beets, Joris Van Goethem, and Paul Van Loey. The group spotlights the recorder, an instrument that is often underrated, and lets it shine in all its glory.
The programmatic theme of the performance was based on a restaurant menu and included French aperitif, Italian antipasti, sorbet, and dessert. It included music from 17th-century France, Germany, and Italy, along with some contemporary and original works for recorder. One of the compositions was created specifically for the Flanders Recorder Quartet and was played entirely with water-filled bottles. Most of the audience in attendance had never or rarely had the opportunity to hear a live performance with recorders. The audience reaction was overwhelmingly enthusiastic for the performance by such high-caliber artists.
Members of the Flanders Recorder Quartet gave a presentation to a music-appreciation class at South Dakota State University that featured a discussion about the construction and history of the recorder and a number of historical styles, as well as teaching techniques for playing the instrument. Many of the students were non-music students and had never actually seen a recorder. Prior to the performance, the members of the quartet gave a talk that included information about the group, their performing backgrounds, and the repertoire that they would be performing.
“I was in attendance at the presentation for the music-appreciation students to observe their reactions. The majority of students found it quite interesting, asked questions, and applauded after [the quartet] performed examples of their work. The students were generally astounded when the eight-foot-tall recorder was shown and played, as was I. Several students attended the evening performance as a result of the presentation.” – John Walker, Brookings Chamber Music Society
