Baroque music recital

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 16

Baroque music recital

A programme of music in Baroque style was given yesterday afternoon in the James Hay Theatre by the Rolf Just Recorder Quartet (Dorothy Hilton, Bruce Carrie, Rosemary Langley, and Rolf Just), Wallace Woodley, harpsichord, Ellen Doyle, ‘cello, and Barry Brinson, counter-tenor.

The programme began with four little fugues for Recorder Quartet by Johann Pachelbel and Johannes Kaspar Fischer. They set a calm, and relaxed, atmosphere for what proved to be a rewarding and lovely recital. The tone of the instruments was clear and gentle, yet had life and colour. The playing showed sensitive regard for balance and for precision and rhythmic vitality. Songs by Andreas Crappins, accompanied by recorders, were sung with excellent control of vocal quality and of verbal clarity by Mr Brinson. The combination of delicately played recorders and the countertenor (sometimes called “male-alto”) quality of timbre was charming, particularly so when the melodic and harmonic structure of the music is so delightful. Mr Just, with Mr Woodley and Miss Doyle, played a sonata for alto recorder by Telemann. It began with a reflective Adagio and went into a lively and flexible Allegro. A Larghetto of pastoral fruitfulness, and a Vivace of radiant happiness both in structure and in performance ended this delightfully played work. Songs by Purcell, accompanied by recorders, cello, and harpsichord, showed the composer’s immaculate technique and dramatic powers. The performances were models of style and elegance. Great agility of voice

was required and given in the last song. A Trio for Recorders by James Hook was played with serenity and with captivating tone and clarity of melodic lines. A Siciliano had old-world dignity and manners and the Minuetto had Pied Piper magie. The programme ended with 16th Century Chansons for Recorder Quartet. The first had a gentle melancholy, the second an urbane dignity and the third was quiet, giving refreshing strength to all in encountering the problems laid aside for a while in enjoying this rarefied music. —C.F.B.