Auckland Arts Festival review: Tafelmusik, Auckland Town Hall

Tafelmusik's Alison Mackay scripted House of Dreams.

House of Dreams was an ambitious time trip courtesy of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, transporting us through the homes of 17th and 18th-century music and art-lovers.

Blair Williams narrated Alison Mackay's literate script with style, working from the London of Handel to the Leipzig of Bach.

Suspended above, a giant gilt-framed screen displayed exteriors and interiors of buildings, copious artworks and, from time to time, mirrored reflections of the band.

The musicianship was impeccable, the quality only too apparent when individual members could be heard just feet away, processing up the aisle.

Without scores and music stands, the musicians were free to rove and only occasionally did their enthusiastic circlings irritate.

The first half of the evening suffered from compressing 14 pieces into 40 minutes. Despite nicely shaded performances, the highly patterned music of Vivaldi came across as aural wallpaper for what we were watching on screen.

The final section offered Vermeer paintings against the music of Purcell, while Williams mused on the importance of linen and linseed oil.

Purcell's dotted rhythms danced as they should, although one would have liked more than just the Canzona from the composer's St Cecilia's Ode, given here without the stipulated trumpets.

After interval, the world of Marin Marais was opened up with lusty drumming, leading to a spellbinding treatment of the French composer's 1706 opera Alcyone.

Drawing on all his theatrical skills, Williams held us transfixed with his tale of Marais' heroine; words were intricately woven through the music, culminating in a magical vision of Alcyone growing wings and flying to revive her lost husband.

Image 1 of 21: Group F perform Skin of Fire as part of the Auckland Arts Festival. Photo / Michael Craig

Bach did not come off so well. A Gigue suffered from thin violin tone and the fact it was probably not by Bach anyway; a Cantata aria, arranged for and fluently handled by bassoon and two oboes, would have had more timbral interest with the original tenor voice.

Then came the coup, a spirited dash through the Finale from the D minor Double Concerto. Applause was spontaneous and vociferous; and, for the most substantial piece of the evening, fully deserved.

Tafelmusik

Where: Auckland Town Hall
When: Friday.