Salut chooks

Salut! Baroque had me thinking of a few things at their concert last night at Albert Hall. Firstly, about the history of music. This is music played with informed authenticity in the period tradition, all harpsichords and recorders and baroque instruments. They must have been an early incarnation of this practice in Australia. S!B are in their 22nd year. But what gets me is the olde sound against the dates of the composers: several were extant in the 1600s and one in the 1500s, but a good few only died in 1770 or thereabouts. JS Bach died before this, but he's somewhere in this ballpark for music and Mozart's short life was around this time, but Beethoven was born in 1770 and he's worlds away. For this, I read that various conceptions of music existed contemporaneously and change can be quick. It may not have looked like that at the time. Thinking of today, there's something pretty similar, with all manner of musics being played and even written. So it is in all art, I guess. The other thing I notice is the bowing and the approach to bass, but that's about me and my learning. But this was such a lovely concert, changing through varied combinations of players and associated sounds. The strings sounding fairly modern, the harpsichord spelling the gentler sounds of that era, the recorders sounding earlier again, but they all took similar roles at various times, with melodies passing to baroque cello or the three recorders taking melody and counterpoint roles, perhaps balancing against the strings. There was just one piece with three recorders alone, otherwise several with strings and harpsichord and with various combinations of recorders. And one with harpsichord and a conversing pair of violins. I noticed one violinist with a jazz in his background (jazz in not totally forgotten here!). Rachael Beesley was leading on violin and she was a great pleasure, committed, expressive, leading. I enjoyed the informal presence of Monika Kornel on harpsichord who would twist from the stool to be able to follow Rachael's or others' leads. Such a great little concert, close and intimate, fairly quiet but expressive and even musically humourous in the last piece with the final movement Pour la caille (=For the chook). For the chook seems a strange name for a movement after the allegros and prestos and adagios of most of the other pieces, but the recorders' squawks or clucks fitted the title. A lovely and entertaining period concert that passed so easily. BTW, the theme was how we know about musical performance in this period - partly through the treatises by various of the composers, Quantz, Avison and others.

Salut! Baroque performed Avison, Corrette, Quantz, Ortiz, Biber, Geminiani, Mattheson, Rameau and Fux at Albert Hall. Performers were Sally Melhuish, Hans-Dieter Michatz and Alicia Crossley (recorders), Rachael Beesley, Rafael Font, David Rabinovici and Meg Cohen (baroque violins), Valmai Coggins (baroque viola), Tim Blomfield (baroque cello) and Monika Kornel (harpsichord).

Concertone

Salut! Baroque's latest concert was called the Virtuosic and Innovative Concerto. From the richly informative essay in the program and also from the five (5!) concerti they performed, it was obvious that the concept and form and size of the concerto has varied over time. These were concerti from the early days when increasing musical virtuosity led to the featuring of a section against another or a few instruments in context of the tutti. The composers were CPE Bach, Telemann, Corelli, Geminiani and Vivaldi. Perhaps two (CPE Bach and Telemann) had obvious front line soloists featured somewhat like a modern concerto does. The CPE Bach featured a baroque flute; the Telemann featured two violins. These are early instruments and not always so loud - I noticed that especially with the flute - so a solo instrument is not so easy to carry off. But this was an intimate performance, as performances presumably would have been, in court, and it worked nicely. Even then the harpsichord was a struggle and the pair of recorders were not too prominent. But such lovely playing and sweet tonalities. I was particularly taken by Matthew Greco's control and tone, as well as Anita Gluyas on baroque cello. He had the lion's share of leading the performers; she had the most prominent and consistent bass-like role. They were both confident and virtuoisic. I enjoyed some momentary smiles from Anita after some particularly challenging passages. She had a veritable workout in the Geminiani, then so did fellow bassist, Tim Blomfield on bass violin (apparently tuned one tone down from the baroque cello for better access to flat keys) on Vivaldi Concerto per l'Orchestra di Dresda. We all know the final movement to this one: it's a killer with rolling tutti semiquavers seemingly endless. It must feel that way when you're playing it. But cheers to all. This was a delightful and beautifully played, intimate concert from our quarterly visitors to Albert Hall.

Salut! Baroque performed at the Albert Hall. S!B comprise Sally Melhuish and Hans-Dieter Michatz (recorders), Mikaela Oberg (baroque flute), Matthew Greco, Rafael Font, Meg Cohen and Anthony Donovan (baroque violins), Valmai Coggins (baroque viola), Anita Gluyas (baroque cello), Tim Blomfield (bass violin) and Monika Kornel (harpsichord).

Welcoming the German baroque

Admittedly it's the JS Bach, but I've been listening to it all day after recording Salut! Baroque on Friday night at the Albert Hall. There are all sorts of things that worked this night. They played two sets, each of Handel, Telemann, CPE Bach and JC Bach. They were in Albert Hall and it works a treat for a baroque orchestra like this. They were just lovely, playing with gentle period instruments and with some magical performers. The music was delightful. I have heard the JS Bach several times today. Just the right length for the drives I had to do, to Campbell and Queanbeyan. This was the Concerto in C minor for violin and oboe, BWV1060. Well known, not least for Philip Adams and LeninL. There were some coughs but the violin was a dream (Anna McMichael with the most delicious of bowing skills) and the bass violin is unusual but clear and fits perfectly and another Anna, this time Fraser, was singing and the whole band flowed with lively, mobile energy. This was music of a period and place, of baroque Germany, played with understanding and historical awareness (I have yet to read the notes on the relationships of these four). These days, a period concert is a lesson in history as well as a listening experience and this was one. Lovely band, visiting quarterly, well attended. Salut! Baroque are a pleasure from a now-distant yet strangely relevant era.

Salut! Baroque performed at the Albert Hall and comprised Anna Fraser (soprano), Sally Melhuish (recorder), Hans-Dieter Michatz (recorder), Jane Downer (baroque oboe), Anna McMichael (baroque violin), Meg Cohen (baroque violin), Valmai Coggins (baroque viola), Tim Blomfield (bass violin) and Monika Kornel (harpsichord).