Salut

Salut can mean both hi and bye in French and it's a greeting between family and friends so it's apt for Salut! Baroque, partly for the intriguing invitations to the musics of composers or places or purposes that S!B explore in their programming and explain in their programs.  This concert was Bohemian Rhapsody.  We read of the first rhapsodies for piano composed by a Bohemian Vaclav Tomasek; of the relevant geographic area; of the manufacturing and trade links that associated with movement of arts and music through Prague, Vienna, Krakow, Leipzig, Venice and more; of the Defenestration of Prague and the Thirty Years War; of the Hapsburg Empire and the Peace of Westphalia; of the relationships of Bohemian, Venetian, Veronese and Viennese composers and the nature of the musician's life in court.  All fascinating, leading to a program of Biber and Vivaldi, and Zelenka, Bertali, Fox, Caldara, Schelzer, Fischer, Jiranek and Brentner.  There are many new  or lesser known names: a concert by S!B is nothing if not inquisitive.  And pretty, ordered, danceable, dignified, even suggestive and so well played by strings, harpsichord, recorders, theorbo and the like.  This is music that was new at the time, now played from the past, but very much a part of our musical development and so often just delightful and courtly.

Salut! Baroque performed at Wesley.  S!B comprised Sally Melhuish and Anitra Blackburn (recorders), Rachael Beesley and Julia Russoniello (violins), Marianne Yeomans and Brad Tham (violas), Tim Blomfeld (bass violin), Jude Hill (bass), George Wills (guitar, theorbo) and Monika Kornel (harpsichord).

Let's dance

Just a room or so away was something very different and it started less than 20-minues after Ida finished.  Ida's theme was Introspections with composers into the C20th on a solo piano; Salut! Baroque's theme was dance and its instruments dating back into the baroque (obviously).  And, unusually, Salut! was accompanied by a ... dancer.  And this was not a solo performer but 11 players with that dancer making the dozen on instruments of the era, baroque all (flute, oboe, recorders, violins, viola, guitar, theorbo, bass violin) and percussion and the ever present harpsichord.  The tones were far more gentle that a Yamaha grand played with intensity, although there was intensity here too, sometimes.  Otherwise, bounce and motion and rhythms of dance, even if the rarefied, refined and inviting but discrete styles of the time.  The composers were variously known: Rebel, Graupner, Erlebach, Telemann, Purcell, Oswald, Lully, Roman and the prolific Anon and the tunes or movements were sometimes expressed as tempos but often as dance styles,  In fact, the Jean-Fery Rebel seemed to list them all: Prelude, Courante, Minuet, Bouree, Chaconne, Sarabande, Gigue, Riguadon, Passepied, Gavotte, Sonate, Loure, Musette, although I notice no waltz and I'm assuming they are all dance styles.  So lots of rhythmic pleasure and energy ending with Anon with a rousing Romani folk dance of great pleasure.  These were some lovely musical styles and also some excellent performances from several notable names of the Australian baroque scene.  Thus an fascinating and varied night at Wesley.  Much enjoyed.  And thanks to Aimee for her visual addition to the gig.

Salut! Baroque performed an introduction to the dance at Wesley.  Performers were Aimme Brown (baroque dance), Sally Melhuish and Alana Blackburn (recorders), Sally Walker (flute), Jane Downer (oboe), John Ma and Jared Adams (violins), Brad Tham (viola), Tim Blomfeld (bass violin), George Wills (guitar, theorbo), William Naayan (percussion) and Monika Kornel (harpsichord).