An explosion of harmonies and dynamism will be presented alongside three dramatic works of visual art for an immersive experience in “Baroque Maximalism in Art and Music,” an event in dialogue with the exhibition of the same name. Revealing the ways in which Baroque art and music are in conversation with one another, the Conservatory has worked in collaboration with the Allen Memorial Art Museum since fall 2025 to bring the exhibition and programming to life. The event will take place this Sunday from 2–3 p.m. in the King Sculpture Court at the Allen.
Twin brothers Aaron and Boaz Mecham, the “Mecham Duo,” are first-year master’s students in Historical Performance and will be giving a lecture on the parallels and contrasting characteristics of Baroque art and music. They will be playing Baroque violin and harpsichord while joined by three musicians — Gabriel Roth, OC ’25, on Baroque violin; Conservatory third-year Zackery Price on viola de gamba; and Conservatory first-year Jonathan Bolena on harpsichord — to present a live performance of works by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Benedictus Buns, Johann Vierdanck, and Henry Purcell in dialogue with three artworks.
Following the Renaissance, the Baroque era (1600–1750) moved beyond themes of order and stability into the realms of grandeur, drama, and ornate elements. When thinking about the goals of the exhibition, Emily French, interim curator of academic programs at AMAM, focused on a singular, encompassing concept.
“The idea is thinking about … this idea of maximalism — spectacle, excess, and elaborate music, alongside some artworks that have very elaborate imagery,” French said.
The Mecham Duo is working under the guidance of Edwin Huizinga, OC ’06, assistant professor of Baroque Violin. Huizinga reflected on his fondness for the Baroque era, as well as its unique characteristics that propelled forward the violin’s role in the world of music.
“I’ve always been attracted to this type of music because of … the beauty that I feel in the music, the incredible harmonic sort of qualities of this genre and the [Baroque] era,” Huizinga said. “It was also the period of [time] where the violin became its own unique voice, whereas in the Renaissance era, … the violin didn’t have a singular voice yet in my mind. So, the Baroque era is when there started to be solo violin music or concertos written for solo violin with orchestra.”
French and Huizinga decided to let the students take the lead in curating the exhibition. The Mecham Duo sorted through a selection of Baroque artwork stored in the AMAM archives and chose three prints: “Apollo and the Seasons” by Claude Lorrain (French, 1600–1682), “After Henrik Pola” by Daniel William Stoopendaal (Dutch, 1672–1726), and “Chargement d’une Galerie de l’Ordre de St. Etienne” by Stefano Della Bella (Italian, 1610–1664). Aaron Mecham explained their thought process in choosing the artworks.
“We’re actually not very experienced at looking at art, but we’re very experienced with how music makes us feel,” he said. “The Dutch painting has these fireworks, and it’s a celebration of peace. … This reminds us of a piece by Henrich Biber. … The fullness and the intensity are parallel, aligned [to the painting].”
During the lecture portion of the event, the Mecham Duo will discuss points in which the artworks and music align, including conversations that were occurring during the Baroque era, the various countries’ political climates, and themes that are present across the different mediums of art. French emphasized the new avenues of observation that consuming both music and art in conjunction lends itself to.
“Even with artworks that I’ve seen a bunch of times, looking at them while I’m listening to music or looking at them after listening to music, it draws out new details and new scenes,” French said. “You can really see how artists, musicians, and all these people [from the Baroque era] are interacting with each other and informing each other.”
Portions of the event will be designated to briefly viewing the artworks. However, Aaron Mecham suggested arriving before the start of the event if viewers wish to see the art in more detail. One of these elements focuses on the dramatic effect of contrasting lighting in the art.
“A term used in both describing Baroque art and Baroque music is chiaroscuro, light-dark, or clair obscur,” Aaron Mecham said. “There’s this incredible contrast of tension and release in Baroque music, and that’s found mirrored in Baroque art, [which has] extremely dark places and then suddenly light on the other side of the paper.”
Another goal of the event is to welcome the broader Oberlin community to indulge in classical music, removing barriers that may typically make this intimidating. Huizinga is a founding member of Classical Revolution, an organization with the mission of bringing chamber music to the public in accessible, non-traditional venues. To Huizinga, “Baroque Maximalism in Art and Music” works toward a similar goal of decreasing the divide between the College and the Conservatory.
“Part of my life has been [centered] around tearing down walls of anxiety toward classical music,” Huizinga said. “[Classical Revolution] brings classical music into bars and cafés and has them always be free and available and open. Then, people aren’t as intimidated if it’s in their safe space, like a café. The museum is intimidating in its own way, but it’s also free and well known in the community.”
Beyond increasing the accessibility of consuming art, the event allows attendees to engage with two forms of art at once. Boaz Mecham explained the significance of learning about these works through a live experience and not just through placards.
“Part of what there is to connect between the art [and the music] is simply to have them in the same room together, so you can admire it,” he said. “[Presenting the arts] reveals unsearchable qualities in them; if you were to describe them, you would make it more finite than experiencing it.”
