Thanks to the generosity of Anna Nathan, the University of Auckland has a brand new clavichord and thanks to the enthusiasm of the University's James Tibbles the public were able to hear it at Gus Fisher Gallery. A small, box-like instrument, the current model is a copy of a late 18th century instrument built by Friderici. With its rather plain exterior, it made quite a contrast with the various colourful works adorning the Gallery and acoustically was truly flattered by the venue.
What an intriguing sound the little clavichord makes! Unlike the harpsichord, the strings are not plucked but instead struck by small brass "tangents" attached to the end of the keys. This is a similar mechanism to the modern piano though the felt-covered hammers of the modern instrument produce much greater volume. Indeed, it takes some time to get used the volume of the clavichord. Even in such a small space as the Gus Fisher Gallery, the listeners really were made to concentrate in order to be drawn into the instrument's soundworld. The clavichord is also notable for its ability to vary dynamics unlike the harpsichord. The player can also create vibrato effects by shaking the keys up and down. It was amazing to hear the variety of sounds that could emerge from what I'd always assumed was a severely limited instrument.
But what of the music and performances here? We opened with a section devoted to the music of Georg Bohm, a composer who was a great influence on the music of Bach. The Praeludium in G started off with some rather staid block chords that sounded if perhaps they'd be more at home on the organ. However, there was more to this work than there appeared at first glance and it soon segued into some fairly substantial counterpoint which the clavichord handled with wonderful clarity. Bohm also wrote suites of dances for keyboard and here we were presented with his Suite in F sounding all the world like proto-Bach. Tibbles's playing in these pieces was elegance itself.
A real change of mood took place between the Baroque formalities of Bohm and the ensuing Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello diletissimo by Bach. A rare programmatic piece for Bach, the solemn first movements farewelling a departing brother lead into a cheery little aria imitating a posthorn and then a fugue in imitation of this. The most gorgeous moments of the whole afternoon were in the slow third movement, its restrained sorrow suiting the clavichord's sound perfectly. Tibbles finished the first half with a C.P.E. Bach Fantasia, a piece wild in both form and harmony. Sudden pauses and strange dissonances abounded throughout this jolly number. It utilised the full range of the clavichord, from surprisingly boomy low notes to a very ghostly light upper register.
Father Bach re-appeared at the opening of the second half in the form of his Toccata, BWV 913.
The soft, slow section in the middle sounded truly improvisatory in the hands of Tibbles. The last fugue section was thrillingly shaped although there were some split notes and slightly awkward passagework here and there. While Tibbles noted that Turk's sonatas should stand in the company of Mozart, Haydn, or C.P.E. Bach's works in the same genre, for this listener the Sonata in Eb featured here sounded significantly less substantial musically than any of the three mentioned. However, it was still a pleasure to hear with its highly decorated melodic line, particularly refreshing for those who only know Turk for his beginner piano pieces. We finished with Haydn, the Sonata in D Hob XVI:19. Haydn was one composer who really bridged the periods of clavichords/harpsichords and the fortepiano. This sonata is a relatively early work that was probably written for clavichord (or perhaps harpsichord). Some of Tibbles's issues with accuracy re-occurred here and in the preceding Turk piece and I felt that perhaps he had a little less sympathy with the early classical style than with the Baroque earlier in the concert.
The soft, slow section in the middle sounded truly improvisatory in the hands of Tibbles. The last fugue section was thrillingly shaped although there were some split notes and slightly awkward passagework here and there. While Tibbles noted that Turk's sonatas should stand in the company of Mozart, Haydn, or C.P.E. Bach's works in the same genre, for this listener the Sonata in Eb featured here sounded significantly less substantial musically than any of the three mentioned. However, it was still a pleasure to hear with its highly decorated melodic line, particularly refreshing for those who only know Turk for his beginner piano pieces. We finished with Haydn, the Sonata in D Hob XVI:19. Haydn was one composer who really bridged the periods of clavichords/harpsichords and the fortepiano. This sonata is a relatively early work that was probably written for clavichord (or perhaps harpsichord). Some of Tibbles's issues with accuracy re-occurred here and in the preceding Turk piece and I felt that perhaps he had a little less sympathy with the early classical style than with the Baroque earlier in the concert.
