The Muffat Collective. Supplied.
A most delightful concert of glorious Baroque music by The Muffat Collective was the latest concert as part of the Prelude in Tea series at the Independent Theatre.
Translated as ‘effortless mastery’, Spretzzatura included almost all areas of early 17th Century Italian courtly life. The Grove Music Dictionary describes it as ‘the true source of grace … revealed in the effortless resolution of all difficulties’, Spretzzatura developed into such a desirable character trait and had infiltrated so many aspects of the Italian court that by the beginning of the 17th century, the concept infiltrated every arts discipline of the era.
The Muffat Collective comprises four period instrument specialists – Matthew Greco, Rafael Font-Viera (violins), Anton Baba (cello) and Anthony Abouhamad (harpsichord) – who are extremely passionate about performing chamber music from the 17th and 18th century.
The concert was ravishing opening with short pieces by Merula and Castello with intense rapport between the players throughout.
Uccellini’s A Gran Battaglia was perhaps reminiscent in some ways of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons with bright luscious scurrying violins chasing and teasing each other while the cello mutters.
Montiverdi’s prologue to his L’Orfeo featuring Sandstrom was refined, soaring heartfelt and elegant. Then came an extraordinary solo by Baba on a viola da gamba, an arrangement of Dowland’s Flow My Tears originally for the lute that was riveting and passionate.
Amarilli mia bella by Caccini (1601) featured soprano Anna Sandstrom and Anthony Abouhamad on harpsichord in a melancholy, soaring passion – telling the story of the Greek myth of Amaryllis. Caccini uses a deceptively simple setting to tell the story, words are sung from start to finish, the second sentence repeated to the same music allowing for variation. The work finishes with an ornamental repetition of the closing line.
Next was Prospera lux venit by Corradini for the quintet, Abouhamad on period organ. Sandstrom bubbles delightfully and there is a great coloratura display during the Hallelujah section.The instruments answer and comment in a gracious, exhilarated dialogue.
To take us to interval we heard Merula’s Ciaccona Op.12 no 20 (1637) which began with the cello and then featured shimmering, darting violins in a vibrant, flowing piece which had a relatively brief bass line – used as a base for decoration, variation and adornment.
After interval came Virgiliano’s Vestiva I colli – madrigal by Palestrina – with Sandstrom first performing the main theme accompanied by Abouhamad on period organ and then the quartet performing assorted variations.The organ dominated but the violins had lots of showy flourishes and embellishments and constantly insisted on being heard.
Castello’s Sonate no 12 from concertate in stil moderno, libro primo, was an animated discussion between the quartet, slower, more thoughtful sections contrasting with boisterous more flowing ones, each instrument having a mini solo.
Montiverdi’s Lamento della ninfa (The Nymph’s Lament) (1638) was achingly exquisite and delicate yet passionate as the nymph laments her faithless lover. It was elegantly flowing and ornamental.
There was much enthusiastic applause and cheering – for an encore we heard the lush, soaring finale to Montiverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea.
4 ½ stars ★★★★☆
Prelude in Tea
The Muffat Collective in Spretzzatura
INDEPENDENT THEATRE
JUNE 2018
