Orlando Shakes has in recent years produced plays in “Bare Bard/original practices” style — meaning the show is developed how it would have been during the time it was written, in this case, Shakespeare’s Elizabethan era.
The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park turned to the classical-music version of “original practices” to open its 91st season on Sunday afternoon at Rollins College. The podium where artistic director John Sinclair usually waves his arms to keep the musicians and singers on track was empty. Instead, guest artist Daniel Adam Maltz led proceedings while playing the pianoforte — a 1700s ancestor of the modern piano.
Back then, in the era of Vienna Classicism, when Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven ruled, things were different.
“The role of the modern conductor simply didn’t exist,” said Sinclair, explaining Maltz would use eye contact, exaggerated breaths and other body language to “lead a conversation with the orchestra.”
And so he did, in a sparkling program of music by the three aforementioned musical greats.
Another throwback to the 18th century: the eclectic nature of the program that mixed sonatas, operatic arias and a symphony.
“They liked lots of variety,” Maltz said.
It tracks that the pianoforte is a forerunner of the modern instrument because it has a more youthful sound, perhaps because it doesn’t have as many low bass notes.
The pianoforte was at the center of the opening concert of the Bach Festival Society’s 91st season on Oct. 19, in Tietdke Concert Hall at Rollins College. (Matthew J. Palm/Orlando Sentinel)
Maltz showed that it still has plenty of emotion to display, though, tinkling his way through the lively Allegro movement of Mozart’s Sonata No. 17 and then creating lovely sedate tones later on its Adagio. The Allegretto movement finished off No. 17 with a cheery playfulness.
The aria vocals were courtesy of soprano Caitlin Mohr, whose expressive voice is matched only by the beautiful expressiveness on her face. Even if you didn’t know the words of “Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro” from Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro,” the yearning was palpable.
And the interplay between the singer and the motifs from oboe player Sherwood Hawkin and bassoonist Ashley Heintzen on the opera’s “Dove sono” delighted.
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Maltz neatly captured the “very complicated feelings” of Beethoven’s forbidden romance by putting tenderness, longing and frustration into the very notes of his “Andante favori’ in G Major.
Hayden’s Symphony No. 92 announced itself triumphantly, with everyone pitching in from the trumpets and horns emphasizing notes while Nora Lee Garcia’s flute provided flourishes. The Minuet was beautifully precise, before the thrill of the very-presto finale.
Sinclair didn’t get the whole program off. He opened the proceedings more traditionally, conducting the Bach Festival Chamber Choir in a stirring rendition of Haydn’s “Te Deum.” He said the work was difficult because of its wordiness, but all those words provided an extra layer of grandeur to an already grand piece of music. It was the perfect start to a grand afternoon of music.
Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment or sign up to receive our weekly emailed Entertainment newsletter.
Coming up from the Bach Festival Society
Voctave: A cappella singing group performs at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Carmina Burana and Rhapsody in Blue: Two great classical works, featuring piano soloist Byeol Kim on George Gershwin’s famous rhapsody, are on the bill at 3 p.m. Nov. 2, also in Steinmetz Hall.
All-Night Vigil (Vespers): The Bach Vocal Artists perform Rachmaninoff’s religious work, sung in Orthodox Church Slavonic, at Knowles Memorial Chapel on the Rollins College campus.
Info: bachfestivalflorida.org
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/20/daniel-adam-maltz-bach-festival-society/
