Amuz started promising

Thanks to the new Flemish baroque orchestra B'Rock the openings weekend of the renovated 'Music centre Augustinus' in Antwerp, 'Amuz', became a remarkable event.

B'Rock is still four months old. The orchestra worked out together with the French eccentric singer Dominique Visse a program about the figure of Don Quichot. Two suites for orchestra of Telemann alternated with two French baroque cantatas. B'Rock deserves all praise for this perfectly worked out initiative.
Telemann's music for orchestra is often seen as second rang music of a multi writer. However when you dare to take risks in performance, blow up the emotions and effects in stead of minimise them, suddenly a rich world blooms open in which Telemann proves himself to be a born musician knowing perfectly how to amuse his public.
Also the fact that B'Rock dared to produce on certain moments a rich and full sound was a true relief. To often baroque ensembles chose for the way of reduction, but not all baroque music is served with a minimal cast, on the contrary.

The strings of B'Rock not only made music on knife edge, they also took risks in their sound production, sometimes almost inaudible quiet and then suddenly full as a full-blooded orchestra. Remarkable how well the shared musical leading worked between violin player Lidewij van der Voort and harpsichord player Frank Agsteribbe: the orchestra let's itself even in the very fast, most hectic passages barely catch at a minor flaw.
Besides, all members of B'Rock take consequently their responsibility and hide themselves never besides a colleague's back. Their joy of making music splashed of the stage. Also the input of Dominique Visse seemed to be a perfect move. He didn't play Don Quichot in the cantata of Philippe Courbois, he simply was himself, and therefore the anti-hero of the story.
B'Rock deserves after this first, half season - there are no concerts the next months - all possible credits of organizers ánd governments. Very few baroque orchestras in the Low Countries show so much play fun combined with great precision in performance and care for sound production. A fulfilling cd-project is the next logical step, that hopefully can be realised soon and helps with their international announcement.