The Dunedin Consort is one of the world’s foremost Baroque ensembles, based in Scotland. So boasts the programme for this evening of trio sonatas composed in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, featuring works by Rameau, Jaquet de la Guerre, Bach and Telemann. The influences were solidly French, but German and Italian too.
Lillian Gordis was both guest director and harpsichordist, featuring in each of these pieces. The harpsichord itself belongs to the Dunedin Consort, and those lucky enough to have arrived early enough for the pre-show interview with Lillian learnt a thing or two about the different sorts of harpsichords she gets to play around the world.
This one is German and has a double keyboard. We learnt that not all harpsichords are the same – in shape, size, number of keyboards and so on – and that Lillian has to learn to adapt to whichever instrument she is faced with.
Not a Cello!
She was accompanied by Matthew Truscott on violin, Jonathan Mason on viola da gamba and Rosie Bowker on flute. The Dunedin Consort uses period instruments, so the violin will have had gut strings, the flute was made of wood, and the viola da gamba is NOT a cello despite first appearances! The gamba, as it’s often known, differs from a cello in that it has at least six strings (to a cello’s 4) and has frets, like a guitar, making it easier to play chords. It’s called ‘gamba’ because it’s from the Italian word for leg, and, like a cello, the player holds it between their legs, so, though it’s called a viola da gamba, it’s played more like a cello than a viola.
The venue was Greyfriar’s Kirk, a beautiful building with high ceilings and whitewashed interiors, and an astonishing Peter Collins organ installed in 1990, incorporating pipework from the previous organ and ranks from others.
The concert was very well attended – few empty seats could be seen – and very well received. The acoustics in the Kirk are renowned, making it a sought-after venue for musical performances.
That said, the harpsichord and flute were, at times, difficult to hear distinctly. But the harpsichord is a gentle instrument, so it was never going to assert itself overwhelmingly. The instrument may look like a piano but is oh so very different – as Lillian explained before the concert. It uses quills to pluck the strings, rather than the hammers used by a piano to strike its strings.
She also explained the playing technique that requires a note to be held until the next one is played. The instrument’s volume is not controlled by touch and has no pedals, both leading to a ‘brighter’ sound than the piano.
Educational but a little samey
The repertoire took us through a journey of the development of chamber music in the early eighteenth century – though not in strict chronological order – and whilst I appreciated the skill and finesse of the playing, I found the pieces lacked variety, except the Telemann (Paris Quartet, TWV 43:G1) and the final Rameau (Cinquième concert, Pièces de clavecin en concerts, RCT 11).
“…the harpsichord and flute were, at times, difficult to hear distinctly. But the harpsichord is a gentle instrument, so it was never going to assert itself overwhelmingly.”
I can’t claim to be knowledgeable about Baroque music, but I was excited to attend the concert.
The evening was enjoyable and informative, but I have to admit to being a little bored by the lack of variation at times. Dunedin Consort strives to educate as well as promote musical excellence. I think it did both of these things in this concert and accompanying talk, so really, I’m not complaining.
Featured Image: Lillian Gordis – Dunedin Consort
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