For over 30 years, The Arcadia Players have performed chamber music throughout western Massachusetts. Recently, the ensemble welcomed Andrew Arceci as their new artistic director.
As a multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and composer that has worked and studied music throughout Europe, Arceci brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the group.
Zydalis Bauer spoke with Arceci, as well as longtime Arcadia Players Alice Robbins and Walter Denny, to learn more about the group.
Hear these performers talk about their passion for music in a digital exclusive clip.
Read the full transcript:
Zydalis Bauer, Connecting Point: For over 30 years, the Arcadia Players have been performing chamber music throughout western Massachusetts, and the ensemble recently welcomed a new artistic director.
Multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and composer Andrew Arceci has worked and studied music throughout Europe. I spoke with Arceci, as well as longtime members Alice Robbins and Walter Denny to learn more about the group.
Walter Denny: Well, about 30 years ago, Meg Owen Brandon, who was at the time the college organist for Mount Holyoke College, decided that she’d like to found a group devoted to the performance of early music, that is music from before 1750, as part of a sort of a general movement in the United States and Europe at that time toward taking a look at music that hadn’t traditionally been performed very much by groups in Europe and North America, up to that time, so that was part of what we sort of call the Early Music Movement.
Alice Robbins: There had been chamber ensembles around, but not very many baroque orchestras. And especially in this area, where there is still a lot of activity in Boston, New York, Montreal, other cities. But here in our Valley, going up and down the Connecticut River, we wanted to have more going on and Meg herself wanted an opportunity to conduct this music.
Zydalis Bauer: And recently, the Arcadia Players have named a new artistic director, and beginning on March 1st, Andrew, you will be taking over leadership of the ensemble.
As somebody who has history with this group as a past performer, what was it about it that made you want to apply for this position and how does it feel to take on this role?
Andrew Arceci: Yes, I’ve played real dagomba, vallone, and bass with the ensemble, on and off for several years, always as a contracted player. I’ve always enjoyed the music making. And the last several years, I’ve been directing programs myself and it’s unusual, you know, certainly not…a problem to direct from one of these instruments, but it’s just less common.
I’m very thankful that the Arcadia Players took the application seriously and that I advanced and I had a wonderful time during the process. I mean, it was a long process, especially with Covid, of course. I very much look forward to working with the ensemble.
Zydalis Bauer: Let’s talk about the historical performances for a second, because I understand that the Arcadia Players are known for their historical — historically-informed performances. W
hat does that mean and what does that entail?
Alice Robbins: It means using the tools that one had at the time the music was written. So, not performing at modern pitch, which is about a half a pitch higher than we believe they performed during the 18th century. And the reason we know that is because if you take a wind instrument such as a baroque oboe, which has many fewer keys, it not only has a different timbre, but because of the way it’s made and its length…it vibrates at a lower pitch.
So taking those as our guidelines and learning to enjoy what the instruments have to offer, not trying to make them into another kind of sound, just opens up a lot of things for me.
Zydalis Bauer: Alice, you teach at Smith and Mount Holyoke College in the Five College early music program.
So in regards to exploration, classical music, and working with hopefully the next generation of performers, where do you see this genre of music heading?
Alice Robbins: I see it’s not only myself, but a lot of schools even now Juilliard, which was a bastion of modern performance for many years, is training many more young and polished musicians to open themselves up to these ideas, too.
And also, some kids like myself were inspired at an early age to do something like this, and it gives much more opportunity. So, there is a much larger pool of very accomplished musicians now.
Zydalis Bauer: And Walter, you’ve been involved with different musical organizations since the early sixties, and you are the longest serving member on the board of directors for the Arcadia Players.
As somebody, an artist with decades of knowledge and experience in this art form, how do you preserve and promote its importance for future generations?
Walter Denny: I think the most important thing, especially for early music and historically informed performance, is to find your niche — not only within the broader movement of classical music — and of course, by classical music we mean music that that defies time, that’s that’s vibrant and powerful and moving no matter what it was…it was wonderful four hundred years ago, and it’s still wonderful. That’s what we mean by classical music.
And here in the Valley, with all the departments and all the colleges, and all the independent musical organizations — of which there are quite a few that present concerts — we have to find our own place and develop our own audience within that spectrum. It’s not the easiest task because of course, in some ways it is a zero sum game.
What we have to do and what we’re — we’ve been doing for 30 years in which we hope that Andrew is going to help us advance, is to increase, increase our concert, going public to appeal to, as Alice mentioned, now, younger people are becoming interested in this through through their schooling, to capitalize on the fact to get younger audiences. And we have to continue to rediscover our place, continue to rediscover our nice.
And that’s one of the reasons why we’re so excited that — that Andrew is going to help us develop our approach to the future of this Early Music Movement.
Zydalis Bauer: And speaking of rediscovering Andrew, you were talking about the complications of Covid. And so, for the past two years, you have been limited to virtual performances where you would be in person performing.
So, talk to me about what’s coming up in the future. What do you hope to do with the Arcadia Players?
Andrew Arceci: I think we, like so many ensembles, and to a large extent, arts organizations now, need to retain an element of flexibility. I mean, we just have to be flexible. And I think we will resume with live programs as soon as we can. You know, again, there are new logistics involved, whether it’s coordinating with the venue, ensuring masking and sharing vaccination, et cetera.
And there are new logistics for…for everyone. And we’re not alone. I think, like I said, many ensembles are struggling with this. I mean, everyone is trying to navigate this new world and even now, you know, with the new variants.
And it takes…you, know a long time to plan a season of concerts. And so there’s there’s planning. I mean, even now, you know, we’re looking to the spring to find a date and then, of course, to next season. So, there are several months worth of planning involved. And then of course, that can be disrupted. And so it’s very hard. I think, as we look to return with live music making, we certainly will do that. And then if need be, maybe we will do some video programs.
It’s very hard to know. But you know, we’re not alone. Haha!
Zydalis Bauer: So in 2019, the Arcadia Players celebrated its 30th anniversary. Congratulations on that amazing milestone!
What do you all hope for chamber music and the Arcadia Players for the next 30 years to come?
Walter Denny: We obviously hope that we’ll build our audience, that we will continue to continue to benefit from the types of discoveries that people like Andrew, by going and dutily doing research, there’s lots of music out there to be discovered. It’s still in manuscript form. It’s hidden away in monasteries and churches and private collections and libraries.
I would hope that we would continue to capitalize on all these new and wonderful discoveries that are being made. We have a program in waiting of a performance of St Matthew Passion by the German composer Tyla in a new performing edition. There’s lots of lots of stuff that is very old, but it’s very new. We’re going to be getting new stuff out there, this being discovered or rediscovered.
I’m hoping that that rediscovery process, together with an increasingly large audience of, we hope, increasingly younger people, I hope that’s where the future of Arcadia Players lies.
Andrew Arceci: There are many ways that this music can appeal to wide audiences, both young and old. I have always thought that the esthetic is in the art. I mean, obviously there are no recordings from this era, and so, you know, looking at the art is very important. And there are ways to connect with, you know, people interested in history, art history, et cetera.
And so I — I enjoy putting together, you know, programs. And there’s a large part of any directorial role aside from the music making. I mean, there are, of course, logistics and thematic questions involved.
And so…you know, I certainly will discuss these details with the board, but I think, you know, trying to find interesting themes and weaving, you know, stories through programs. But — but, you know, ensuring that they appeal to wide audiences. I mean, they can be true to the historicalness — that is important to this kind of music making — but I think that there can be elements that appeal to wide audiences as well.
