Baroque Players

Press, 30 July 1985, Page 8

Baroque Players

The Baroque Players, directed by Peter Walls, presented by the Music Federation of New Zealand at the James Hay Theatre, July 29, 8 p.m. Reviewed by Philip Norman. A further variation on the 1985 theme of Bach and Handel was heard last evening at the James Hay Theatre. The Baroque Players, an ensemble of enterprising young musicians based in Wellington, offered a pleasing sample of how the music of these two masters sounded at the time of composition. The Concerto Grosso in A major by Handel that opened the four-item programme began with the jauntiest first movement of a Handel concerto I have heard for a long while. The rhythms positively bounced along, and were shaped into phrases that were clearly defined and stylishly articulated. The elegantly crafted movements that followed provided an excellent intro-

duction to the sound of this “authentic” Baroque ensemble. Thinner in tone, lighter in timbre and significantly softer in dynamic, the string sound of these early-styled instruments brought a buoyancy to the rhythms and melodies of Handel that was captivating. The same infectious zest characterised the performance of Bach’s “Brandenburg” Concerto. The use of a Baroque transverse flute allowed for a properly balanced concertino sound, something that is not possible when the modern flute is not possible when the modern flute is employed in the work. The concertino for the performance comprised Sally Tibbles (flute), Shelley Wilkinson (violin) and Douglas Mews (harpsichord). Their well-considered solo lines were of good order throughout, and reached a peak of sensitivity and expression in the inner Affettuoso movement. It may have been that the magic of the Baroque sound

had worn thin by interval, whatever the reason, there was little charm in the somewhat scrappy account given of Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor. The soloist’s tone was frequently uneven and many of the rhythms of the accompaniment in the Allegro movements were scrambled. In the inner Andante, the players never really settled into a comfortable pulse. The first few movements of Bach’s Overture No. 2 in B minor regrettably continued in this rather lacklustre vein and made for dreary listening. However, from about mid-point in the work, some of the former sparkle in the group’s sound was regained. The Polonaise and Minuet were superbly phrased with sprightly rhythms. The courtly precision displayed in the Minuet was capped by a bubbling flute line in the Badinerie. The crisp tempo and secture ensemble work in this movement provided an arresting, spirited close to the concert. &