Music Reviews : ‘Science’ Series Opens at the Getty Museum

The opening program in the “Music in the Age of Science and Reason” series at the Getty Museum, Saturday evening, stood handsomely on its own, but also made an effective and natural link with the Roman Baroque music of the Nakamichi Festival at UCLA two weeks ago.

The concert united four performers from the Nakamichi Festival and presented a mostly new installment of music from 17th-Century Rome, in the Inner Peristyle Garden. The garden is acoustically hospitable, though at least as afflicted with aerial nuisances as Hollywood Bowl.

Soprano Judith Nelson was the featured soloist, in a diverse set of assignments that included four Landi arias. She brought textual point and vocal ebullience to them, accompanied with bravura brio by harpsichordist Frederick Hammond and guitarist James Tyler.

Two rhetorical cantatas, “Lamento della Regina di Svezia” by Luigi Rossi, and “Lasciatemi o Pensieri” by Marcantonio Pasqualini, provided more florid, dramatic opportunities for Nelson, which she capitalized on with clarity and conviction. Four pieces by Paolo Quagliati framed the program and completed Nelson’s work. They also added violinist Gregory Maldonado to the ensemble, in fluent dialogue with the singer.

Maldonado had a solo vehicle of his own, in a fitful set of anonymous instrumental pieces. He had trouble making his instrument speak at times, but complemented the stylish efforts of Tyler and Hammond--on lute and organ, respectively--with vigor.

Though relegated to continuo duties most of the evening, Tyler and Hammond had their moments of solo glory as well--Tyler in charming guitar pieces by Francesco Corbetta and works for lute by Frescobaldi, Hammond in a long set of variations by Frescobaldi.