Performance: Extempore

School of Music

Reviewer: Heath Lees

Saturday evening's concert by this well-established Early Music group was primarily to unveil the University of Auckland's handsome new fortepiano.

Crafted by Auckland instrument-maker Paul Downie who copied it from an original Walther fortepiano of 1795, the finished article was the star attraction of a programme revolving around the later 18th century. By then, the fortepiano had begun to unseat the harpsichord, thanks to its greater light and shade, and its clearer, more songful melodies against quieter accompaniments.

Knowing that the fortepiano was attracting all the admiration, composers of the day often made the piano the solo instrument, with flute or violin as accompaniment.

So in the first half, the sonata by J.C.F. Bach had flautist Sally Tibbles playing her eloquent best, yet firmly relegated to second place, while her pianist husband James set all the pace and direction. It was a treat to hear the fortepiano show what its leather hammers could do in the recitative, where seemingly villainous harpsichord sounds threatened victory over the angelic voice of the fortepiano, which of course won the day.

Such musical play was welcome, since the opening work by C.P.E. Bach had suffered from a stiff and tentative approach by all four players, only beginning to loosen up by the final movement.

At C.P.E. Bach's second appearance, though, in a piece for fortepiano alone, the composer's Storm and Stress manner was uninhibitedly served up by Tibbles, who relished the big, clangorous ensemble effects of the instrument, as well as its expressive sighs and sobs.

Joined by violinist Graham McPhail, Tibbles again took the lead in a Mozart sonata with violin accompaniment. Thus demoted, McPhail was dispatched to a chair at the end of the piano - questionable, since it resulted in roughness in the ensemble - but the closing Haydn Trio came together nicely, with cellist Margaret Cooke contributing much to the ambiguity of tempi that Haydn so often enjoyed. As a bonus, Tibbles played from Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata. Auckland's new fortepiano is in excellent hands.