Wave hello to Mozart

Mercury Baroque strikes a bigger, bolder note with its new 2011-12 season

Performing music compositions of the baroque period on modern instruments is akin to translating Shakespeare into colloquial street language and staging it in a thick Southern drawl. Sure, it does the trick, and the themes are timeless.

But something is amiss.

Houston (and the international community) owes a lot to Mercury Baroque, an ensemble that exemplifies the philosophies that were alive and well from before Johann Sebastian Bach to circa Ludwig van Beethoven. Put aside any misconceptions you have about music of that period. It is about drama, passion and emotion while attempting to rouse a strong reaction from listeners.

And that is exactly what Mercury Baroque's just revealed the 2011-2012 season will be about, while expanding its repertoire, size and scope.

How?

Aside from adding more concerts to last year's offerings, the first performance at the Wortham Theater Center centers around Bach's Goldberg Variations, the work that brought international acclaim to Canadian pianist Glenn Gould due to his ability to distinctly articulate Bach's interweaving polyphonic textures — he also dismissed romantic repertoire.

Originally composed in 1741, Canadian conductor Bernard Labadie (from Quebec’s Les Violons du Roy) has re-orchestrated the work for string orchestra showcasing the vast character range of each of the 30 variations' rhythms and dance allusions. Titled "Encyclopedia Bach-tanica," this is a musical character study as much as a lesson on Bach the composer and Bach the person.

In Mercury Baroque's spirit of rediscovering obscure or not-as-popular repertoire — last year's Vivaldi's Montezuma performance brought to musical life a work lost since 1733 — Handel's Rodelindais considered by scholars as one of his greatest operas serias (as opposed to buffa or comic style). Yet, it's often sidestepped in favor of Xerxes.

The first performance of Rodelinda at the Met did not occur until 2004. It was restaged again in 2006 with Patrick Summers at the podium and superstar countertenor Andreas Scholl. Mercury Baroque's concert version is meant to highlight the psychological proclivities of the characters, which includes a king who fakes his own death in an attempt to restore his throne, his wife and his son. Politics, love and exile, the themes are not far off from today's international climate.

The Holiday season isn't complete without a Messiah sing-along and Mercury Baroque does not disappoint. No experience is necessary but anyone would benefit from a little practice. It's never too early or too late to start. And for the purists that just want to hear it performed professionally, the complete Dublin version will also be offered.

No one ever forgets their first Farewell Symphony. As the piece by Haydn comes to its muted conclusion, musicians start leaving the stage one by one, ending with just two. Though I may have just spoiled the surprise, wave hello to Mozart as this concert, “Farewell” Haydn, Hello Mozart, ends with his Sinfonia Concertante, featuring the virtuosic fingers of concertmaster Jonathan Godfrey and the rich playing of violist Suzanne LeFevre.

French is synonymous with sensual romance, or maybe its just the accent (try talking to Mercury Baroque artistic director Antoine Plante). A French Valentine showcases how love is depicted in the music of Jean-Philippe Rameau through his cantatas Orphée and Les Amants Trahis. Sounds like a sure way to impress your date (or hook up) and get some.

Baroque violin badass Monica Huggett graces the Mercury Baroque stage for the first time in The Virtuoso Violin to kick 18th century compositions' butt, including works by Leclair, Locatelli, Van Wassanaer and Vivaldi.

Bordering on the end of the classical era, the ensemble's season concludes with Heroic Beethoven, a Beethoven Symphony cycle. The Eroica Symphony, not to be confused with the Eroica Trio, was initially dedicated to Napoleon. But as Beethoven's tempers flared after Napoleon declared himself Emperor of the French, Beethoven scratched the inscription. The work is Beethoven at his classical best.

The Marcia funebre, in the relative minor key, is tragically beautiful with languid oboe solos, while the theme and variations structure of the last movement is joyous, inventive and playful, with a really awesome flute solo. Beethoven's Second Symphony is also on the program.

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october's best concerts

Foo Fighters, Depeche Mode, Jonas Brothers, and John Mayer headline October's coolest concerts in Houston

Photo courtesy of Foo Fighters

Rock gods Foo Fighters descend on Houston on October 10.

This month’s crop of concerts brings a lot of alt-rock and pop-rock nostalgia on tour for all those ’80s and ’90s babies. It’s almost like all those bands from our childhoods know that we now have babysitters we can hire and disposable income to spend on $12 boozy seltzers and $25 parking spaces.

TheFoo Fighters invade the 713 Music Hall on October 10, one of the biggest marquee acts to grace one of the newest large-scale stages in Houston since it opened in late 2021. Since its grand debut its played host to Oliva Rodrigo, HAIM, Maña, New Order, and Billy Strings just to name a few.

Elsewhere,Peter Gabriel is celebrating nearly seven decades of crafting enigmatic soundscapes on October 21 at Toyota Center. He’s packing as much as he can into two sets for those who can't wait for “Sledgehammer” or “Solsbury Hill.”

But it's not all old-school jams. This month sees pop sensations like Janelle Monae, Jonas Brothers,SZA, and John Mayer hitting town for some can't-miss fun. Here are our can't-miss concerts for October.

Depeche Mode, October 4, Toyota Center

Goth rockers and New Wavers, it seems, age a sight more graceful than most of their contemporaries in other genres. Maybe its aversion to sunlight? Better moisturizing routines? No band of its kind has aged better than Depeche Mode, with lead singer Dave Gahan now a black-clad velvet crooner of the goth-est and New-Waviest order. Pour out a glass of red wine in the Toyota Center concourse for late keyboardist Andy Fletcher who passed away in May 2022.

Foo Fighters, October 10, 713 Music Hall

One of the last modern rock bands standing, Foo Fighters freaked out the neighborhood when they announced a show at 713 Music Hall (our announcement story pretty much broke the local interwebs). It’s not often that a bonafide stadium act like Dave Grohl’s Foos blesses a city with a show at a venue the size of this downtown gem but we’ll take it. The band’s coming to town touring behind ‘But Here We Are’, its first since the passing of titanic drummer Taylor Hawkins. Tickets are sold out officially via Live Nation, so head to those third-party vendors for coveted tix.

Photo courtesy of Foo Fighters

Rock gods Foo Fighters descend on Houston on October 10.

Janelle Monae, October 10, Bayou Music Center

When Janelle Monae debuted in 2007 with Metropolis, she wasn’t predicting the future, she was actively dragging a sagging music industry into her vision of it. Since then, we’ve all been witnessing an artist recoding her image in real-time, like if David Bowie had 5G in 1975. She’s just comfortable collaborating with Brian Wilson as she is with Big Boi. Prince didn’t really die, his musical brain was just uploaded into Monae’s.

Chris Stapleton, Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane, October 13, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

A Chris Stapleton show away from the friendly yet cavernous confines of NRG Stadium during RodeoHouston is a magnificent treat. Not only do you get to see one of the best modern guitarists of any genre do his thing, you get extended jams and a few jaw-dropping covers. Get here early for openers Nikki Lane and Charley Crockett, who represent the best of the current crop of country stalwarts. If we’re lucky, Charley and Nikki will sit in for some magic with Stapes.

SZA, October 14, Toyota Center

SZA SZA season is October 14 in Houston.Photo via SZA Official

Freshly anointed neo-soul queen SZA was seemingly born straight into arenas, instantly captivating ears from the jump. 2022’s blockbuster ‘SOS’ has been cemented at the top albums chart for nearly the last calendar year, no small feat in this streaming times. In concert, her raw confessionals come with the kind of mind-bending light shows you’d see at an arthouse installation.

Sting, October 15, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Seeing Sting live sans law enforcement is always a pleasure, and this tour sees Ace Face on the road unleashing his biggest hits, solo and otherwise. Recent set lists lean heavy into his work away from vaunted The Police, long defunct after an epic reunion run in the late 2000s. It’s perfectly OK to admit that you still get “Brand New Day” stuck in your head every once in a while. Don’t worry, Sting knows you want to hear “Message In A Bottle”.

Peter Gabriel, October 21, Toyota Center

The former Genesis frontman and solo powerhouse is back on the road playing his hits proper. An artist as monumental as Peter Gabriel doesn’t tour without intention and this current jaunt feels like a victory lap of sorts. At a spry 73 years, here’s hoping he’s just cranking up for a late-career heater.

Jonas Brothers, October 23, Toyota Center

One of the biggest teen pop acts of the 2010s, the brothers Jonas are back on the road firmly ensconced in their 30s with a few divorces and children under their white belts, just like their fans. As if we didn’t need anymore reminders of the passage of time, some of those fans will probably have their own kids in tow this time.

Parker McCollum, October 28, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Conroe-native Parker McCollum grew up going to concerts at the deluxe shed in The Woodlands, and like most area kids, he dreamed of playing that very stage himself. Now making his second annual homecoming stop up north, McCollum is a certified pop country star. This year’s Never Enough LP saw McCollum mixing up some sultry ‘80s country drama into ‘Gold Chain George Strait’ persona.

John Mayer, October 30, Toyota Center

John Mayer concert Dreamy John Mayer closes October with a big show on the 30th. Photo via John Mayer

Fresh off a near-decade stint acting as the stylish avatar for Jerry Garcia in Dead & Company, John Mayer hits Toyota Center by his lonesome with a truckful of guitars and a collection of radio hits. His recent solo tours have seen Mayer reclaiming his original singer-songwriter tag, years removed from his reign of polite terror in the tabloids.