What if the Spice Girls had brains? Or talent?
Tonight, the classical music performance quintet, Bimbetta, will continue the Hopkins Center's recent trend of hip musicians -- Awadagin Pratt, the Emerson String Quartet and the Jazz Messengers -- putting a new twist on old music.
But don't stop reading yet. The women that make up Bimbetta -- three soprano vocalists, one cellist and one harpsichordist -- are more like the Spice Girls than old white men in tuxedos. Conceived in Bloomington, Ind., Bimbetta is dedicated to not only performing Baroque music technically accurately, but also to throwing all classical music conventions in the trashcan.
Music composed from about 1600 to 1750 is classified as Baroque music. Bimbetta also performs music from the Renaissance (about 1400 to 1600) and even some from before. In both Renaissance and Baroque music, individual voices are considered important. Because the printing of music was started in these eras, the music is stringently outlined by the composer. It generally features dissonance and unlikely melodies and note combinations.
Described by the Los Angeles Times as "lager-swilling, smoking, cursing, tattooed sex goddesses who don't read music but do go in for semi-nudity and a bit of witchcraft," the members of Bimbetta sport chic clothing, modern dance moves and coy smiles in their performances.
The Bimbetta babes not only sing their tunes, but also act them out to give audiences an aural and visual concept of their songs' meanings. Watch out for flying cue cards with idiomatic translations of lyrics and movie metaphors throughout the performance. No one leaves an evening of Bimbetta without understanding every word.
Bimbetta is not only '90s smart but is also 17th-century accurate. Their voices are soothing, at times operatic, and they never get boring. Although their feminist agenda has drawn criticism, their focus on excellent music will hopefully supercede it tonight.
If you like Baroque music, go see Bimbetta; you will not regret it. One caveat though: if you get sick at the thought of classical music with soprano voices, this performance will not be for you. Bimbetta is hip, but their background instruments are harpsichord and cello, and there is no way around it.
Bimbetta will perform tonight at 8 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium.
