The 19th century is often considered the golden age of the violin, with the great virtuoso Nicolò Paganini serving as the era’s charismatic standard-bearer.
But Frank Nowell, artistic director of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, argues that maybe the baroque period — roughly 1600 to 1750 — really deserves that moniker.
To bolster his position, he assembled Virtuoso Violins, a program of chamber works showcasing the instrument in a range of combinations.
If the presentation, which debuted Friday evening at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, did not categorically settle what is probably an endlessly debatable issue, it did provide an evening of captivating, intimate musicmaking.
Now in its third season, the Baroque Chamber Orchestra has become a vital, respected component of the Denver music scene, adding needed variety to local classical offerings and putting the city solidly on the early-music map.
The usual size of the period-instrument ensemble is 13 musicians, but for this concert, the group focused on smaller works and deployed just seven of its members.
While the concert showcased four of the orchestra’s violinists, the main spotlight was on its dynamic concertmaster, Cynthia Miller Freivogel, who leads the ensemble in large part through the sheer force of her playing and stage presence.
She opened the program with a free-spirited interpretation of the Suite for Solo Violin by the obscure Portuguese composer Pedro Lopez Nogueira, and ended the evening as soloist for Georg Philipp Telemann’s Concerto in E major for Violin, Strings and Continuo.
The amply talented Freivogel impresses on many fronts. She draws a rich range of tonal colors from her violin and brings freshness, verve and a wonderfully natural sense of phrasing to her playing. It also helps that she just seems so at home in this music.
Another high point was a satisfying, organic performance of the Sonata Quarta by Venetian composer Daria Castello, with lively interaction between Freivogel and her well-matched colleague Tekla Cunningham.
The four violinists got their chance to shine together in the stunning give-and-take of Telemann’s Concerto for Four Solo Violins in G major, with Kathleen Leidig and Sandra Miller more than holding their own.
Rounding out the concert were two works featuring Denver baritone David Farwig. Although he seemed uncomfortable in a first-half work, he delivered an expressive solo turn in George Frideric Handel’s cantata, “Spande ancor a mio dispetto.”
Virtuoso violins
Classical music Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 W. 32nd Ave., Golden. The Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado performs a program showcasing the violin.4 p.m. today. $20, $17 seniors, students and military and $5 children. 303- 889-1012 or .
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
