Baroque Banquet

Waikato Times Review
Where: Waikato Times Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival
What: Baroque Banquet
Who: Morag Atchison and Evelyne Waters (sopranos), Jenny Johnson (oboe), Edward King (cello), and Tania Park (harpsichord continuo).
Reviewed by: Andrew Buchanan-Smart
A banquet implies a feast; this one was full of delicious delicacies, chosen from the baroque period. The courses of this gallimaufry had a lovely symmentry to them, each featuing solos, with the exception of Tania Park.
But she, along with Edward King on cello, provided the platter on which the delicacy was served. This they did with sensitivity and reliability which added a relish to the ensemble, allowing a piquancy of flavour to flourish with dynamic gradutation.
Jenny Johnson charmed with movements from oboe sonatas by J S Bach and Telemann. Her articulation and sense of colours in these period pieces, along with her ensemble playing generally, was one of the main flavours which sustained the feast. King gave a spirited account of Vivaldi's Cello Sonata RV 40 with some finely nuanced phrasing throughout.
Sopranos Evelyne Waters and Morag Atchison had delightfully different flavours to tantalise the tastebuds. Evelyne's Vadoro pupille by Handel, Purcell's mournful When I am laid in earth, and Vivaldi's Domine Deus heard her in three different vocal styles, each beautifully flavoured.
Atchison had more dramatic hues in her palette and with Handel's Piangero, la sorte mia the dramatic characterisation of Cleopatra was evident. Her Lascia chio pianga from Rinaldo was exquisite as she caresses and ornamented her way through the beauty of this aria.
An encore of the soprano duet Laudamus te from Vivaldi's Gloria was a delicious blend and slice of heaven to savour. These five fine musicians provided an excellent baroque banquet.