A pair of replica Baroque instruments starred in a recent concert, “Sonate di Luce,” at the Baroque Room in St. Paul’s Lowertown, where a rising violin talent, Benjamin Lenzmeier, performed with Madison, Wis.-based historical performance enthusiast Sean Kleve, on the harpsichord.
Located on the second floor of the Northwestern Building, the Baroque Room is a brightly lit space with an intimate feeling and features a number of acoustic panels and foam to mitigate the sound. Lenzmeier beamed at the small but supportive hometown crowd.
Violinist Benjamin Lenzmeier performed on a historic violin along with Sean Kleve on harpsichord for “Sonate di Luce: Luminous sonatas from 17th and 18th century Italy” at the Baroque Room in St. Paul on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (Courtesy of Sean Kleve)
Lenzmeier grew up in Minnesota. After studying music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and performing with a number of Midwestern ensembles (including St. Paul’s Lyra Baroque Orchestra), he moved to the Netherlands to study at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.
Lenzmeier’s Baroque replica featured gut strings and a shorter fingerboard than modern violins. “They just didn’t play as high on the instrument,” he explained to the audience. His Baroque-style bows (he had two), meanwhile, were also shorter than today’s bows, and curved in the opposite direction compared to bows in modern times.
The shorter bow meant less room to luxuriate in a longer note, and because of the way the bows were weighted, the notes would sometimes fade out at the end, like in Biagio Marini’s Sonata No. 4, before Lenzmeier launched into an impressive double-stop section.
Despite the shorter bow, Lenzmeier managed to create volume with his instrument, like in Antonio Caldara’s Violin Sonata in F Major for Violin and Continuo, and captured a bright, forceful sound in Antonio Vivaldi’s Sonata in G minor, Op.2 No.1 (RV27).
The violinist’s fingering maintained articulation in the quick runs and ornamentation of the Baroque music, and he looked loose and relaxed even in the most virtuosic moments.
Lenzmeier also played without a chin rest or shoulder support, holding his instrument up with his arm and balancing it bare on his shoulder. The young musician’s playing style was quite physical. He moved his shoulders up and down quite a bit, as his violin danced as he played. He kept his legs mostly straight, but at times he’d raise up on his toes, and used a loose wrist when bowing, like when he whizzed through the quick notes of Arcangelo Corelli’s Sonata in D Major, Op. 5, No. 1, for violin and basso continuo.
Kleve, meanwhile, performed with a replica of an Italian harpsichord from the era, made by David Sutherland in 1984. Speaking about the instrument, Kleve said its strings were made with yellow brass wire, which doesn’t sustain a long sound, and requires clarity from the player.
For most of the works they played in the program, Kleve played the continuo part, where the bass line was composed and the upper notes were improvised. He also played one piece by Domenico Scarlatti, called Sonata in A Major, K. 208, alone on stage. He characterized the work as a “duet” for his two hands. The sonata gave a chance for Kleve to demonstrate his skill as a soloist as Lenzmeier took a short break, and demonstrated the possibility of the plucked instrument to be quite lyrical.
In all, the two musicians played music by seven Italian composers from the 17th and 18th centuries, and their enthusiasm for the old music — as well as the historical way the music was played — was infectious.
If you go
Who: Next up at the Baroque Room: Lyra Baroque musicians with Director Emeritus Jacques Ogg
What: “Flavors of Europe: A Food, Music and Wine Adventure”
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 15
Where: The Baroque Room, 275 E. Fourth St., No. 280, St. Paul
Tickets: $205 at lyrabaroque.org
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Accessibility: The Baroque Room is located on the second floor of the Northwestern Building, which has two public elevators.
Capsule: If you’re enticed by Baroque music, Lyra Baroque performs an evening of Baroque music paired with food and cuisine from around Europe, featuring Artistic Director Emeritus Jacques Ogg and Lyra musicians.
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