MUSIC REVIEW : Baroque Marathon at Ford Amphitheatre

As conductor David Alan Miller returned to the podium for an encore performance of the Menuet from the first suite of Handel’s “Water Music,” he explained to a then-wearied audience at John Anson Ford Amphitheatre that the familiar opus “was originally performed over and over at one sitting, producing up to six hours of music.” No doubt that information reminded listeners (and musicians) about some of the advantages of living in the 20th Century.

But as the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute Orchestra’s Baroque Marathon ran its 6 1/2-hour course throughout the afternoon and evening on Sunday, the temptation to relive this tradition of macro-music-making proved not only irresistible but worthwhile.

Members of the apprentice orchestra formed different chamber ensembles, admirably performing a mixed bag of mostly popular works from the latter half of the Baroque era. Also on hand were a handful of pros from the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” under the capable baton of Heiichiro Ohyama became the centerpiece of the day, showcasing the prodigious talents of four young violinists. Sarah Kreston’s poised presence in “Spring” yielded impressive results as did the more inward Beth Schneider in “Summer,” the lyrical subtleties of Simin Ganatra in “Autumn” and the overpowering MiShan Han in “Winter.”

Purely solo efforts included a mesmerizing performance by Sidney Weiss of the Chacone from Bach’s second Violin Partita. Artistic director/cellist Lynn Harrell and flutist Janet Ferguson also contributed engaging readings of other solo works from the Bach family.

Harrell, Ferguson and Han joined forces in a polished performance of Bach’s intricate Trio Sonata from “The Musical Offering.” Another Philharmonic member, flutist Anne Diener Giles, opened the concert with a less spirited, warm-up reading of Bach’s Suite in B minor conducted by Stefan Sanderling.

Among other notable conducting feats was Lan Shui’s carefully shaped performance of Albinoni’s Adagio for Strings. Conductor/harpsichordist William Eddins provided a measure of comic relief with his exaggerated gestures in a refreshing version of Bach’s Third Brandenburg Concerto.

Trumpeter Boyde Hood conducted several different brass ensembles in less-convincing transcriptions of Bach works. Other larger works by Handel, Cimarosa and Vivaldi, as well as small works by Lully and Purcell, completed the program.