Palace or chamber

I think it was Hampton Court Palace where Henry VIII strolled in while we were in the room.  But then it was not the real Henry VIII and the room didn't lend itself to intimate music anyway, like that was played in chamber.  I think of such things when I hear harpsichord and a solo instrument, or here, voice.  Ariana was playing with alto Teresa, starting with Couperin on solo harpsichord then Cesu and Vivaldi, again solo harpsichord by Zipoli then Giacomelli, Conti and Handel to finish.  The composers are very Italian or European, other than Handel with his connections with England, and the lyrics were appropriately operatically despairing, of love, delight, dreams, despising, ignited flames, tyrants and the like; and amusingly the aria from the Princess-courtesan declaring love for her idolised long-lost prince who has fainted from her rage.  This era was not so simple.  Anyway, a lovely outing of period music and operatic emotions and a little amusement for our overly confident era.

Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord) soloed and accompanied Teresa Block (nee Wojcik, mezzo soprano) at Wesley.

Thursday on Wednesday

It's a different gig when Ben Hoadley plays with Ariana Odermatt, not for the music itself or the competence (both are mightily worthy) but for the tones.  Ben plays bassoon and that satisfyingly fat deep tone that merges into more reedy in the higher reaches is so satisfying and his playing is wonderful, fast, always neatly timed.  I was amused by his introduction for a Francois Devienne sonata Ebmaj that is apparently a tricky key for bassoon and a great workout for the fingers, but I always heard the fast lines as neat and correct.  There's a reason he teaches at ANAM and more and plays widely including our CSO.  As for Ariana, this time on piano rather than her normal outings on harpsichord, there were some other witticisms; suffice to say she prefers the lighter, prettier harpsichord.  Interestingly, that same piece by Devienne  may have been written for harpsichord or more likely forte-piano, being from the start of the classical period.  Otherwise, this was a unique program, Dulcie Holland, JS Bach and Telemann frequent enough, an original by Ben originally written for trombone (!), a work by Sally Whitwell with a story of having been written one morning, transmitted to Ben and learnt and recorded and returned to Sally that very day (entitled Thursday theatre), Gillian Whitehead and to end, that Francois Devienne.  I guess we can expect a less common collection of tunes from a bassoon concert, but this was particularly interesting and inclusive and historically relevant to boot.  It was not a surprise to see a phalanx of renowned local players in the audience for this Wednesday lunchtime concert, to hear Thursday theatre and more.  Very much enjoyed and very nicely played all round.

Ben Hoadley (bassoon) performed with Ariana Odermatt (piano) at Wesley.

Lamentations 2

We are deep into the Holy Week music program at Wesley.  I've missed several concerts with conflicts and the Porpora Lamentations cover two sessions, Wed and Thurs, and I can only get to Thursday.  Alan covers the recording activity for me with my gear and I process the two sessions in one.  Its an exciting outing given this performance of Lamentations by Nicola Porpora (1988-1768) is thought to be the Australian Premiere.  Wed is sung by Greta Claringbould and Thurs by Maartje Sevenster, a powerful pair of local singers, soprano and alto.  Accompaniment is Ariana Odermatt on virginal and Rachel Walker on viola da gamba.  Wesley stalwarts and strong players all.  Holy Wednesday's lament is 1:10-14 The enemy laid hands on all her treasures followed by a short viola da gamba instrumental Recercada ottava sobre tenores Italianos by Diego Ortiz.  Maundy Thursday's lament is 2:12-15  They said to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine" followed by The Carman's whistle by William Byrd performed on virginal.   The Wednesday session "depicts the deep humiliation and physical suffering of Jerusalem following its destruction by the Babylonians in the summer of 586BC[E]".  The Thursday lamentation describes "describes the city as a 'scorn and a hissing' to the nations.  Jesus is famously 'the man of sorrows' who wept over Jerusalem."  The themes may be distant as I try to recall details of Holy Week from school days, but the music is delicate and full of dread and disappointment.  And maybe an Australian first.

Greta Claringbould (soprano), Maartje Sevenster (alto), Ariana Odermatt (virginal) and Rachel Walker (viola da gamba) performed Porpora lamentations at Wesley on Holy Wednesday and Maundy Thursday.  The pic is from Maundy Thursday with Maartje Sevenster singing.  And thanks to Alan Hinde for tracking the Wednesday performance.  

The visiting troubadour

What is it about early music that's so welcoming.  Do we have it in our bones the memory of the occasional troubadour visit?  They didn't have the Berlin Phil online to listen to and watch any instant.  Their experience was a visiting musician for a dance occasionally with baroque or earlier instruments but so earthy and so welcomed.  Austral Harmony visited and they were somewhat like that.  AH is Jane Downer with her fellow musicians in each town, in Canberra with Ariana Odermatt.  We heard the whistle tones of descant and tenor (alto?) recorders and the reedy tone of the baroque oboe along with the plucky harpsichord.  Lovely.  There's always a tune by that most prolific composer, Anon.  Here it was the story of a storm downing a wind vane on St Paul's Cathedral.  Then some Handel sounding unusually early and William Babel and two tunes of considerable imagery by Geminiani, Sleepy body and Auld Bob Maurice.  The troubadour's visit was much appreciated.

Austral Harmony performed at Wesley.  AH comprised Jane Downer (recorder, baroque oboe) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord).

History of the pluck

This was Ariana Odermatt at Wesley and it struck me as a historical overview of the development of keyboard music in just 3 compositions.  William Byrd The Ghost was played on a virginal and I'd though just the same thing as Ariana when she asked later what it that signified a ghost.  Or perhaps it was Casper, friendly as it sounded.  But that was early 1600s.  Then Couperin and Domenico Ziponi, both extant to the first decades of 1700s.  Couperin was more lengthy, comprising the suite of dances of the era, courante, saraband, gavotte, gigue and the likes, all right hand melody and left hand single notes, sometimes parallel melodies from the right hand, sometimes even walking lines, early jazz.  And then Zipoli with four movements, largo, corrente, sarabande, giga, but sounding more modern to my ears, with chords in the left hand moving through descending sequences with right hand phrases moving in parallel, often in 3 or 6 but not always, faster and lively or slower and hesitant, perhaps in 12 with triplets over 4.  But it all seemed like a modern conception, even jazzy.  Fascinating and lovely on these plucked keyboard instruments.

Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord, virginal) performed at Wesley.

Contemplating the body

These days of modernity and medicines we protected from so much, but Easter remains a brutal story from ancient/mediaeval history.  I felt this with a jazz gig on Good Friday evening but primarily with a concert for Holy Week at Wesley in the afternoon.  The music was Buxtehude Membra Jesu Nostri, a great powerful work of early baroque (I guess) with five voices and accompaniment with a theme of Christ on the Cross expressed in 7 short movements totalling ~60 minutes: ad pedes; ad manus; ad genua; ad latus; ad pectus; ad cor; ad faciem.  That is, an immersion in the horrors of crucifixion, specifically this one: contemplations on the feet, knees, hands, sides, breast, heart and face.  Not at all modern, but powerful, not least in Latin.  Each movement started and ended with a SSATB "concerto" then arias by various individual voices or parts.  Accompaniment was mainly violin, viola, cello, harpsichord, but for some time, adding organ and viola da gamba 1,2.  All period instruments.  And this was a stunning experience, so well sung by several of our local luminaries, and similarly accompanied.  Just a work of power and beauty seldom experienced.  Stunning.

Buxtehude Membra Jesu nostri was performed at Wesley Church on Good Friday.  Performers were Greta Claringbould and Jade McFaul (sopranos), Maartje Sevenster (alto), Dan Walker (tenor), Andrew Fysh (bass), John Ma (violin), Lauren Davis (viola), Clara Teniswood (cello), Rachel Walker and Caroline Downer (violas da gamba), Marie Searles (harpsichord) and Ariana Odermatt (organ).

Observations

 

This was a combination of bassoon and harpsichord from Ben Hoadley and Ariana Odermatt at Wesley.  It's not a common combination, but quite lovely.  And it's not a pairing of baroque instruments as the bassoon was modern, but nonetheless, quite lovely.  And also not all baroque music, and again quite lovely.  Ben mentioned playing the modern bassoon with harpsichord and how it was a different experience, bigger and louder, I guess, and maybe more fluent.  Whatever, they sat nicely together.  He also highlighted the period of the musics: the first three were Marcello, Telemann and Couperin, all early 1700s, and the last Francois Devienne, late 1700.  It was obvious when you were made aware of it.  The earlier period was of royal courts; the later was of the people, entertainment, post-revolution and clearly more classical-styled.  I'd quipped to Ariana earlier that the harpsichord didn't change volume and she'd responded with louder, dirtier sound.  Then sure enough, the first and second courante by Couperin did exactly the same, quiet and delicate, then dirtier and louder.  So lots to observe and some lovely playing to just enjoy.  What's better?

Ben Hoadley (bassoon) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord) performed at Wesley.

Wed 2

We had friends going to a concert that night at Wesley so it was an unusual Wednesday double actand what a contrast it was.  This was called Two in One and the twos were variously two New Zealanders and one Australian and two recorders and one harpsichordist: Kamala Bain and Robyn Mellow on recorders (mostly tenors, but one tune on descants, if I got it right) and Ariana Odermatt on harpsichord.  It was lovely, period, early, so even Bach and Telemann, baroquers who sound more contemporary to our adjusted ears, sounded mediaeval with this combination.  Their playing was exemplary for the instruments, all having performed and studied internationally.  The melodies, accompaniments, harmonies when not playing unison, were clear and affectionate and often joyously danceable in that older, formal style of courantes and gigues and chaconnes.  Something different and lovely and historical.

Kamala Bain and Robyn Mellow (recorders) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord) performed at Wesley as Two in one.

Which one

It was Ariana so I fully expected a worthy concert, but this was a doozy.  It was entitled Repeat and the audience got to choose works to play on piano or harpsichord, or to choose the order then to vote for a preferred instrument.  So this was a fascinating comparison of the Yamaha C6 and a well renowned Australian-made harpsichord (forgotten the maker).  The works  were from Bach, Beethoven and a modern work by Psathas called Waiting for the aeroplane, played this day on piano and apparently played numerous times by Ariana at the Venice Biennale 2011.  The vote was generally for harpsichord, certainly for Bach Prelude Cmaj BWV846 and his Goldberg variations.  I preferred the piano for the Beethoven (Moonlight sonata) but Ariana observed that it wouldn't have been played on an instrument like the Yamaha and her preference was the harpsichord.  So be it; maybe just habit on my behalf.  But lovely playing and very different sounds and a range from Bach to modern and the audience participation made for a fascinating concert.

Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord, piano) performed at Wesley Music Centre.

One of many follies

I felt something awe-fully authentic in this concert.  It was period music, Bach and Bellinzani's take on La Folia, and we hear them often enough with gut strings but recorder and harpsichord presented the works in a milder, quieter form that made you think of sitting in an intimate room, a musica da camera, as it would often have been.  This was not the big event of a concert, but the intimate family event of the sala.  Jane Downer was back and playing on tenor recorder with Ariana on the delicate harpsichord.  First up was Jane playing a bella partita (Dmin), then Ariana playing two movements of another Bach partita (BWV826 Gmin), And finally together playing La Folia and 16 variations by Bellinzani.  Lots have done the La Folia variations (see the page on IMSLP on "List of compositions with the theme "La Folia"").  Apparently, it's "an early medieval Iberian dance accompanied by mime and songs, performed during celebrations of the solstice and New Year festivals" (Collins Dictionary) so obviously referencing good times.  With the delicious nature of Bach's musical invention, this was a good time.

Jane Downer (recorder) performed Bach and Bellinzani with Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord) at Wesley. 

Old block new kids

I'd never heard of La Capella Galante before and the performers were a mix of local celebrities and some that were new to me.  Suchlike for the music.  They play music somewhere around the late C18th and with mandolin.  It's a delightful era, dancey, entertaining, and perhaps the mandolin highlights this aspect.  I chatted with John about music including mandolin and he suggested they used whatever was available at that time.  The composers were somewhat known, Albinoni, Cimarosa  and Scarlatti and also Mozart, but some were quite obscure, Cocchi and Conforto were new to me.  The mix of players changed, too, almost for every piece, from soprano and mandolin through trio and quartet and the like up to the full septet, with harpsichord, 3xstrings, 2xmandolins and singer/drum.  Quite a mix and quite a varying sound and unisual given the mandolin/s.  I enjoyed it lots.  Strangely, each time I counted the time signature I got 3/4, suggesting waltz/dance to me, but maybe that was just a function of when I counted.   Whatever, I found it wonderfully inviting and lively even if the Mozart song in German was a mystery.   A lovely outing!

La Capella Galante performed at Wesley.  CP variously comprised Craig Greening (mandolin), John Ma (violin), Tanya Boag (violin), Gabriel Fromyhr (cello), Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord), Kelly O'Hara (soprano) and Larry Mays (mandolin).

Limestone transforming

I'd been asked to record an expanded Limestone Consort playing Vivaldi Nisi Dominus and more at St Paul's, Manuka.  Always happy to do it if I can and this was an opportunity for my multitrack option which is better but more tension-inducing and time-consuming.  So be it.  Limestone can vary quite radically these days for their concerts.  This one had harpsichord and organ from Ariana, baroque flute and viola d'amore from Jennifer and John and three female voices from Maartje, Veronica and Greta, so a fascinating and very period outing.  It started mild and it was never going to be loud in such a space.  John's viola d'amore is quiet (and demanding to tune!) and the organ and harpsichord are none too loud.  The female voices, though, were strong as were the other strings, so it was very much a matter of balance on the day.  Christoph Graupner (new to me, too) Concerto for flute and viola d'amore was very restrained despite a few vivace movements.  Then two Vivaldi songs with Maartje and Giovanni Battista Vitali Ciaccona op.7 (no, not that ciaconne and not that Vitali: Tomaso Antonio was GB's eldest son).  And then the main work of the day: Vivaldi Nisi Dominus.  Again, not the only one, apparently.  This demanded all performers, although in varied combinations.  Three singers at start and end, with solos and a duet totalling 8 movements.  Religious again, obviously but with an inviting lilting, four-feel top and bottom and three beautiful voices in such lovely harmony: Maartje as alto; Greta as soprano; Veronica as mezzo-soprano.  It was a tight and close harmony at a lovely female pitch and so very beautiful!  So this was not such a long concert and not such a loud or intrusive one, but it had some things of great baroque beauty and a huge please to hear again in my recordings.

Limestone Consort performed Vivaldi and others at St Paul's Manuka.  For this concert, LC comprised Jennifer Brian (flute), John Ma (viola d'amore, violin, viola), Lauren Davis and Michelle Higgs (violins), Clara Teniswood (cello) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord, organ) with singers Maartje Sevenster (alto), Veronica Thwaites-Brown (mezzo-soprano) and Greta Claringbould (soprano).

Sweep of history

I associate the recorder with mediaeval, pre-baroque music and small chamber playing and there was definitely some of that when Robyn Mellor played her sweep-of-history at Wesley.  The earliest was Giovanni Bassano from 1685 and then Frescobaldi and Jacob van Eyck (blind from birth so not doubling as a painter) and she still hadn't got to 1700s.  That's early music.  But then a jump to mid-C18th with de Boismortier and Couperin and JS Bach.  The Bach was written for the transverse flute, which is essentially what we have now, although it would have been a wooden flute in those days, I guess.  But the final two numbers were the surprises.  First some jazz (?) played on a modern square-tubed marine play bass flute, Pete Rose I'd rather be in Philadelphia.  Not modern jazz so much as bluesy-traddie but with rhythmic plays and unexpected vocalisations.  Nice one.  Then Australia represented by Ross Edwards Ulpirra and using an Australian-made descant by a female instrument maker in Australian timber.  So the recorder continues to evolve.  Robyn mostly played solo, but were variously accompanied by Arianna O and Rachel W on harpsichord and viola da gamba.  Both of that pre-piano era and deliciously sweetly toned if a cad to tune.  An unexpected but informative trip through recorder history from one of our local masters.

Robyn Mellor (recorders) performed a history of the recorder with accompaniment by Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord) and Rachel Walker (viola da gamba) at Wesley.

Homecomings

It never ceases to amaze me when I come across musicians with grand CVs, but I shouldn't be so surprised.  They pop up often enough here in Australia.  In this case, it was Jane Downer playing with Ariana Odermatt at Wesley.  I was a bit taken back when I read her bio including locals like the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra and Canberra Bach Ensemble and Pinchgut but also extravagant foreign names like Concerto Koln and Academy of Ancient Music and Oslo Barokkorkester and more.  I guess she studied in Europe and worked there for some time.  She played recorder (tenor or alto?) and baroque oboe with accompaniment from Ariana, although they both played occasional solo pieces in opening and closing side "panels" (it was a Bach Tritych) with a larger central panel as BWV529 Trio played on recorder and harpsichord.  That delicate sound of the harpsichord and the airy recorder and flatulent baroque oboe were all delightful and so capably played.  This is recorder as I seldom hear it.  And it sounded authentic, of the period.  At least I guess so.  So, a discovery but also a hugely pleasurable little concert.

Austral Harmony performed a Bach Triptych at Wesley.  Austral Harmony were Jane Downer (recorder, baroque oboe) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord).

One good friday

It's Good Friday and I'm pretty free except to attend some music later in the day.  I turn on ABCRN and the morning program is for Easter, all contemporary Christianity and historical Jesus.  Then just one piece of music, and what a coincidence!  I recognised it as Antonio Lotti Crucifixus a 8.  Sung by The Choir of King's College Cambridge.  A coincidence because we had two singers from this choir staying with us one CIMF, but mainly because it's the tune I chose to end my latest album, The Pots sky vs weather.  My take is midi with a nice sampled choir and church organ with some cathedral reverb.  It was inherently satisfyingly beautiful so I left it without further complexities.  Of course, the real voices were better and featured words with meaning, and the arrangement was longer and slower, but nice to find the coincidence.  The music we were to hear in the afternoon was Scarlatti Stabat Mater dolorosa with an introduction of Nicola Porpora Rigate lacrimis.  Clara had asked it not be recorded, as it was not formally a concert but a religious event.  OK.  But another coincidence.  It was a rainy day, and coming up to the start at 3pm we heard thunder.  I checked the timing of Christ's death on the cross.  Apparently the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Luke, Mark) suggests crucifixion at 9am, darkness at noon and death at 3pm.  There's a conflict with John's gospel but I didn't follow it up too closely.*  I'm not superstitious or religious, so I can easily accept a coincidence as just that, but it was amusing, if this topic can be.  Then the music.  There was a cross out front on the altar with two candles, a request for silence, a female priest narrating (given my Catholic background, this remains notable), a string of musicians along the back wall of the altar.  Organ, cello, two vocals, two violins.  Interestingly, a full female retinue.  The Porpora was fairly short; the Scarlatti longish, ~50mins in 20 short movements, each with a three line theme introduced by the priest and sung by the singers.  I love this era, ordered and contrapuntal, even somewhat joyous, but I found the context quite strange.  Isn't this Good Friday, memorialising the crucifixion?  The words seemed oddly contrasting with the emotions of the music.  And as for picturing a distraught mother at the foot of a son dying in pain, it seemed fully implausible.  But then I am not of the era and don't have this worldview.  You could also consider it the opportunity for salivation so a thing of joy.  All difficult arguments, but the music was lovely. 

Scarlatti and Popora were performed at St Pauls Manuka on Good Friday by Greta Claringbould (soprano, canto), Maartje Sevenster (alto), Lauren David and Michelle Higgs (violins), Clara Teniswood (cello) and Ariana Odermatt (organ) with Rev. Sandie Kane (priest, narrator).

Compare takes on Antonio Lotti Crucifixus a 8 >
The Pots sky vs weather   /   Choir of Kings College  Cambridge

* What time was Jesus crucified?

Novelty in late C16th

There's a reason why pop songs have vocals and a reason why we mix to make the vocals work above all else.  Because the voice is the core means of human expression in music.  It's pretty obvious but it hit me yesterday again when I heard AJ America sing Giulio Cassini with accompaniment from Arian Odermatt.  So beautiful and so touching.  It helped also that we had lyrics, in the original sung Italian and the English translation.  I understand Italian but probably wouldn't have followed the renaissance/baroque era lyrics.  Caccini is famous for his developments including monody (a term later applied) which featured a melody line with choral accompaniment (vs. earlier polyphony) and for early work leading to the recitative.  Perhaps for more.  It was enough that we got a string of love and other songs from Caccini and a few from Monteverdi.  Also a premiere Wesley performance of an Amarillo by Peter Philips on their virginal.  Very beautiful tones all around.  I asked Ariana about improvisation.  Again, yes all around.  If I understood correctly, Ariana played a chart with a figured bass with indicated harmony (the little numbers below the stave in this era of music) and AJ sang various embellishments on top of a melody and some written embellishments.  Whatever, there was variation and richness and context here.  But just the sheer beauty of the voice and those delicate instruments had it for me.  Such a lovely outing.

AJ America (mezzo-soprano) sang with accompaniment from Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord, virginal) at Wesley.

Two and still hushed

I'd heard the program before but not quite.  Last time Ariana and James were playing within Limestone Consort, with a string quartet and I found the harpsichords, quiet as they are, even raised on the Wesley stage over the strings on the floor below, were still quiet, sometimes lost.  This time, the harpsichords were playing alone, or together, and their volume was theirs, quiet, plucked, perhaps edgy, lovely in that Mediaeval-cum-baroque chamber sound even if still restrained.  They even played much the same music.  The main work was a Bach concerto for two harpsichords (BWV1061), but also a full Krebs Concerto for two harpsichords (I think they only played two movements at the Limestone concert).  The Krebs was written for teacher and student, with one part obviously more difficult.  At one stage in the first movement Ariana was playing semi-quavers, so James' doubled notes must have been demi-semi-quavers.  I know of such a thing (even if I don't have to play on bass).  The other was a strange new/old thing, Thomas Tomkins Fancy for two to play.  James introduced it as an early piece for four handed keyboard, seemingly simple on the page but difficult to put together. They played it on two harpsichords, but close enough.  There were many smiles and maybe some slips but this was a thing of joy, quiet and restrained as harpsichords are, but also challenging and delightful.  I'd dread the tuneups though.  As I arrived, Ariana was tuning then mulled over a retune.  Thus goes period music.  Lovely stuff.

Ariana Odermatt and James Porteous played a double harpsichord concert of Krebs, Tomkins and Bach at Wesley.

This time sublime or what?

 

Three concerts in three days and maybe this is the sublime one.  Dunno.  It featured Bach and two harpsichords, so maybe it's more rollicking than sublime.  Either was, I liked it.  Our local mates Limestone Consort playing Avison, Krebs, Purcell and that feature double harpsichord Bach concerto.  LC normally play with one harpsichord and they play on gut at old-time pitch.  This was A=415 with gut and two harpsichords so there was even more tuning than usual but not unexpected.  I found the Bach my favourite, but there was interest elsewhere.  The Avison was a harpsichord concerto, but just one harpsichord (Ariana).  The Krebs was for two harpsichords, but just two harpsichords, so the strings sat out.  The Purcell was a popular piece, well known and used in films, etc, Abdelazer (the Moor's revenge), again with just one harpsichord (James).  Then the double harpsichord act with strings, the feature work from Bach, BWV1061.  Both harpsichords were busy for three movements; strings sat out on one movement or otherwise dropped in features.  This was the most balanced in volume of the concert, but still the strings overwhelmed at times.  I chatted with Clara and she told me they'd had someone with good ears to check balance, so this was the effect of the audience.  Strange that is had such an effect, but very likely.  Acoustics is a demanding thing.  These harpsichords are really not loud, so cello and violin and viola can overwhelm, even with a pair of harpsichords.  But as with all LC concerts, this was relaxed, friendly, informative (several performers spoke and gave composer background info).  Lauren said Limestone is now in its 10th year and given this outing. I hope they continue.

Limestone Consort performed Avison, Krebs, Purcell and Bach at Wesley Music Centre.  One the day, LC comprised Lauren Davis and Michelle Higgs (violins), Iska Sampson (viola), Clara Teniswood (cello) and Ariana Odermatt and James Porteous (harpsichords).  PS, excuse the pic; not my best!

Sandwiches

It was a double decker: Anton and Ariana had sandwiched Bach between two Vivaldi sonatas and I had sandwiched my recording between Melbourne and Adelaide.  So we could expect an unusual and slightly rushed affair.  On my part, it was rushed: I managed the audio processing but no time for video.  That takes time.  As for the music, it was a little singular, at least in that combination, but it worked very nicely an in a pomo way that opened our ears to new possibilities.  Ariana was playing harpsichord and it could be lost behind the relatively firm, unrelenting tone of Anton's piano accordion.  They were aware of it but it still was a little issue.  The akkordeon, as named by Anton, was organ-like in its firmness.  Not at all like a violin which it mostly replaced.  And the fingering was probably an issue for Anton, but I loved how he would work the fluid phrasings and how the keys bounced in the fast lines and how he'd punctuate phrase ends with left hand notes or chords.  And it was interesting to talk to him after, with his jazz training and harmonic awareness, talking of chromatics and 1-4-5s and cycles of fourths.  Bach is lovely in his colourations and so often jazzy in his harmonic movements.  And you could hear the richness of Bach highlighted betweens the Handels.  Handel is lovely but Bach is God.  There's a reason for the 3-Bs in fine music.  So, another lunchtime interlude at Wesley with some serious musical musings.  Too bad I missed the real cheese and biscuits outside.  That would have been sandwich no.3.

 Anton Wurzer (piano accordion) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord) played Handel and Bach at Wesley.

Clavicytheria and more

The clavicytherium was sitting on the edge of the stage and featured between tunes, but the real star of the day was Pierre Gillier Livres d'airs et de simplonies mélez de quelques fragmens d'opera. Sarahlouise, Lauren and Ariana gathered to perform this recently recovered collection of songs from the French baroque era (1697), This is a work of history by local academic Kathleen Gerrard who unearthed the manuscript in the vaults of the Versailles music library and has recently published the definitive text. Gillier was a student of Lully, and here produced a string of works of amusement to the aristocracy or perhaps the developing bourgeoisie, rich in stories of love and animals and references to classical mythology. It's all rather out of time for us, but fascinating and pleasurable and laugh-inducing at times with the accompanying translated texts. The trio did it great justice, Sarahlouise emoting as only a singer does; Ariana hard at work throughout but gentle on the soft harpsichord; Lauren sitting out the songs but taking book-ending and intervening pieces with her baroque bow and easy gamboling cadence. And Ariana intervened at one stage to introduce this new Wesley instrument, the clavicytherium: an old and now rare instrument, recreated in this copy, luscious with its carvings on the subject of St George and playing somewhat like a harpsichord, strings plucked. It's missing some strings and even that replacement is a slow task, but maybe we can expect a Wesley outing sometime. A lovely historical but intellectually-informed concert.

Sarahlouise Owens (soprano), Lauren David (violin) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord) performed Gillier and Rameau at Wesley. The Gillier was recently un-earthed from Versaille and published in a definitive edition by Kathleen Gerrard.