Music/ Salut! Baroque, Bohemian Rhapsody. At Wesley Uniting Church, June 12. Reviewed by IAN McLEAN.

As a newcomer to a Salut! Baroque performance I was delighted to be greeted with perhaps the most comprehensive and detailed printed concert program I have ever encountered.  

Complied by Tim Blomfield, the bass violinist and joint artistic director of the ensemble, it contained a plethora of fascinating information, including the origins of both words bohemian and rhapsody (neither attributed to one Freddie Mercury), along with period placement in world history terms, interesting composer background information and individual group member biographies. Congratulations and thanks are certainly due for providing such a fine document.

As it transpires the word rhapsody basically refers to any extravagant expression of sentiment or feeling whilst Bohemia, geographically, is the most western and largest region of the Czech Republic.

Apart from Vivaldi and Fischer, most of the composers were unknown to me but what amazing backgrounds they had. Most lived and worked in the late 1600s/early 1700s and the majority were employed in the Imperial Courts of Germany, Italy and Austria.

I learned that Johann Fux wrote the authoritative book on counterpoint that became the study guide for JS Bach and Haydn, who recommended it to a young Beethoven. Antonio Caldara wrote more than 3000 works, Telemann used those works as a model for his church and instrumental music. Church musician Jan Zelenka also significantly influenced JS Bach but, sadly, much of his work was lost over the years with most subsequently destroyed during the bombing of Dresden during the last year of World War II.

The concert itself was most entertaining and enjoyable. The 10-member ensemble comprises two x recorders, baroque violins and baroque violas, along with a bass violin, baroque double bass, baroque guitar/theorbo and harpsichord. Their opening piece, the Sonata 1 in B minor by Heinrich von Biber, provided an instant realisation that this group produce wonderfully articulate playing with excellent balance and fine dynamic control and contrast.

The largo from Vivaldi’s Concerto in D major followed with slow, lush and lovely sound filling the Wesley performance space.   The guitar playing from George Wills, with delicate string accompaniment, was quite riveting.   The two recorders joined for the allegro from the Vivaldi Concerto in D minor with relentless, but well controlled, driving rhythm.

The interaction between the players was a joy to experience. Eyes darted across to each other, smiles acknowledged upcoming entries and every work was played with obvious enthusiasm, passion and enjoyment. Other highlights included beautiful interplay between the two violins of Rachael Beesley and Julia Russoniello and the viola of Marianne Yeomans in the Passacaglia from Antonio Bertali’s Sonata a 4 in D minor and similar interaction between violas and recorders in the Johann Fischer Bouree from his Ouverture-Suite in G minor.

Ten composers were featured during the concert and all works painted grand imagery of how magnificent it must have been during the baroque period to be present in the courts and churches soaking up both the dance and religious music of the time.

A large crowd responded to the concert with obvious pleasure. I heartily recommend being amongst that audience when next Salut! Baroque returns to Canberra.

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