Music / Harpsichord Divas. At Wesley Uniting Church, March 7. Reviewed by IAN McLEAN.

Having only previously been to concerts where a single harpsichord was played, it was a new experience, and a rare treat, to see and hear four of these instruments together on stage.  

These keyboard instruments of the 16^th to 18^th centuries surfaced in Rome and most that have been preserved are Italian in origin. The ornate instruments are regarded as much as furniture pieces as musical instruments with beautiful looks to match their unique and captivating sound.

The Harpsichord Divas concert was programmed around three concertos, written by JS Bach, for either two or four harpsichords with string accompaniment. Bach was perhaps the most prolific composer for the instrument and, in style and structure, he followed a three movement (fast-slow-fast) format which was the Italian fashion of the time. Bach actually utilised concertos he had written earlier but then reconfigured and enhanced them for multiple harpsichords plus two violins, viola, cello and bass.

The playing of the Bach works was excellent. The four harpsichordists – Callum Tolhurst-Close, Ariana Odermatt, Marie Searles and Marko Sever – are vastly experienced and talented and tackled the complex rhythms and embellished melodic lines with confidence and clarity.

The strings – John Ma, Lauren Davis, Brad Tham, Clara Teniswood and Hayley Manning – served primarily as accompaniment with cello and bass supplying a sure and solid footing for the complex work being performed above.   Balance between keyboards and strings in all Bach works was pleasing with the distinct, but quiet, harpsichord sound never overpowered.

The final concerto, a transcription by Bach of a four-violin concerto by Vivaldi, was the musical highlight with vibrant, exciting and, aurally, quite exciting playing from the complete ensemble.

That was not quite the case in the first of the supporting works, an overture by Telemann. Here the strings became somewhat dominant, which may have contributed to some occasional unsettled tempos.

The Wesley Uniting Church was packed for this fascinating concert. Audience response was enthusiastic and prolonged – testimony to a fine performance by fine musicians playing instruments with a sound that is heard too rarely in this day and age.