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.

Prepared

Adhoc Baroque presented its first concert of the year and it was one work: Il giardino d'amore by Scarlatti. It's a work for a small ensemble with two singers, soprano and alto. Greta, soprano, played the part of Adonis to Maartje's alto Venus as they sing of their love and call on nature to witness it. It's a strange experience hearing a soprano as male, but presumably a counter-tenor would have sung it in its early days. Now it's two women, but these are times of gender fluidity so we are prepared. The orchestra was four violins with cello, bass, organ, recorder and trumpet. As I'd expect from Greta, Maartje and Peter, it was a notable team of accompanists led by BJ Gilby. The music is dignified and uplifting and seemed not overly demanding, at least on the instrumentalists, although the voices seemed to have a challenge with intricate, embellished lines. For once, I followed the words (sung in Italian of the time and translated in the program). It was florid and even amusing to a modern reader. who knows not the ways of aristocratic chambers of the time. Thus the disconsolateness of the surroundings, Venus' amorous beauty and Adonis as pitiless and grasping, the loss of interest in the pretty nightingale and cruel depths where she hides. This is tragic while flowery how it does about it but the lovers eventually come together: "come, fly, sweet content, and bring back peace to our hearts". So it worked out for the pair in the end and we left just a little befuddled by the story but nicely satisfied by the performance. Always a pleasure to hear our not at all Adhoc Barockers.

Adhoc Baroque performed Il Giardino d'amore by Domenico Scarlatti at St Pauls Manuka. Adhoc Baroque is Great Claringbould (soprano), Maartje Sevenster (alto) and Peter Young (harpsichord, director) with guests Barbara Jane Gilby, Jack Chenowyth, Pop Thompson and Matthew Witney (violins), Sam Payne (cello), Kyle Daniel (bass), Robyn Mellor (recorder) and Justin Lingard (trumpet).

New for Easter

Great to see the emergence of a new local ensemble, and with a great name: Adhoc Baroque. A light-hearted take on some deadly serious music for Easter. They performed at Canberra's strangely out-of-place heritage church, St John the Baptist (which predates Canberra's establishment by ~80 years), taking advantage of the stony presence and a nice loft organ for one piece. We heard Pergolesi Stabat Mater and Salve Regina and some excerpts from Vivaldi's take on Stabat Mater and Pescetti Sonata in C minor for organ. This ensemble presents with one voice per part, variously organ, two female voices (alto and soprano), viola da gamba, viola and two recorders or two violins. The voices were very satisfying alone but richly evocative and harmonically thrilling together. Two recorders are truly a sound of another era, rounded and evenly toned as they are. They viola and violins were played with modern bows (and presumably metal strings) so were strong and decisive. It's different from gut, but still perfectly satisfying to my ears. Interestingly, Rachel commented that her viola da gamba (with gut and period bow) had the sound of open strings for all notes because of the frets (they have strange moving frets that require tuning). I'd admired her firm and wonderfully steady playing and even string crossing and maybe this fretted sound helped it to match neatly with the modern instruments. The organ for the vocal pieces was sampled electronic and sounded perfectly well for the style. The major work was Pergolesi Stabat Mater which tells the story of Mary under the cross, variously deeply sad and bouncingly triumphant at the religious outcome. The Vivaldi was an interesting comparison, being on the same topic. The organ was a delightful interlude. Great concert. Welcome to a capable new group.

Adhoc Baroque was led by Peter Young (director, organ continuo) with Greta Claringbould (soprano), Maartje Sevenster (mezzo-soprano), Robyn Mellor and Olivia Gossip (recorders), Pip Thompson and Elysia Fisher (violins), Lucy Carrigy-Ryan (viola) and Rachel Walker (viola da gamba).

Incongruities

It's incongruous that I'm in Albert Hall hearing music of the renaissance. Polifemy is singing. Polifemy is a female choir, thus -fem-, I guess. They are supported for some tunes by Walking the Dog. WtD is another incongruity and a big one. It's a recorder ensemble. I've just read a book about Umbria where I lived for a few months many years back. This music seems perfect for stone cathedrals and Perugino madonnas and big echoey spaces. (Did you know the Virgin's wedding ring is in the Duomo at Perugia? It's displayed one day per year, 31 July, and I read about it, sitting on the steps of the Duomo, on 1 August many years back. It's an unlikely goal.) This day is sunny, we are in the new world, in Australia. I feel it doesn't quite fit, but closing my eyes, I'm transported. These are pure voices, in three parts. They sing with the faith and the love of nature of the cinquecento. The program speaks of Gastoldi and joyful celebrations of love and spring and singing and dancing; of Festo and passionate and erotic feelings of unrequited and unattainable love (I won't say for whom, so close to Easter). Also William Byrd and Janequin and madrigals. The space suited the choir, but I felt especially the low tones. The Paetzold bass and contrabass recorders raise all manner of interest, all square and modern and boxy, but also they sound a dream! This is a tone of a harmonium or organ, pure, sweet and rounded, and strong and prominent amongst the smaller, plastic recorders with different bores. I've seen these wooden recorders before but not noticed how pure is their tone. Lovely. Same with the lower (alto) voices in the choir, these also were prominent. The lower tones had presence in this place. These were mostly women: the choir was all women; the recorders were mostly women. I thought of cloistered choirs form 500 years ago. Were they women? Presumably, there were women's choirs, but I imagine males also sang in high register, as I've heard with local period choirs. Whatever, it was quite beautiful and it had parts with range; so an alto felt like a low line. The singing was mostly 3 parts, sometimes accompanied by the recorder ensemble and, for a few tunes, by a single viola da gamba. Some music was obviously canonical, repeating lines through different voices or instrumental pitches. The recorders sounded of a lost era, innocent and honest tone, simple counterpoint. The voices spoke of belief and faith, something that is not the modern. This is music of another era and we are blest to hear it but only touching an understanding. Perhaps it's a function of my recent readings, but this was a surprisingly enlightening visit to another world that we might know of but of which we are unlikely to know. Sunny Canberra, our unassuming Albert Hall, provided a touch of the renaissance today and it was enlightening.

Polifemy performed with Walking the Dog. Polifemy comprise Susan Antcliff, Hanna-Mari Latham, Liz McKenzie, Robyn Mellow (director), Joan Milner (tenor viol as well as voice), Carolyn Savage and Rachel Walker. Walking the Dog comprise Olivia Gossip, Nick Horn, Robyn Mellor (director), Ann Neville, Chris Short and Anna Weatherly.