Festival Music

Mahan Esfahani

St Cecilia’s Hall

Svend McEwan-Brown

four stars

IT IS rare to attend a recital and wish there was a biography of the instrument in the programme. Before closing his recital, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani told how he never expected ever to be allowed to play the 1769 Taskin, a double manual harpsichord by Pascal Taskin, one of the greatest French 18th century makers. It is now one of the treasures of The Russell Collection at Edinburgh University and imagining what that instrument survived in Paris in its first 50 years makes it all the more impressive. Just seven "double" instruments by Taskin exist, so to hear this one played by an artist such as Esfahani was priceless.

Odd, though, on such a famous French instrument, to programme so much German music. The works by 17th century master D’Anglebert, with which Esfahani opened and closed were exquisite – more by him or (a real treat) Rameau would have been welcome in place of the slight and irritating sonata by W F Bach.

The lion’s share of the concert went to W F’s father, J S Bach, his Overture in the French Style BWV 831. Its 11 movements gave Esfahani an impressive showpiece with which to end. His formidable performance showed quite how much we lose listening to works of such ambition on the piano. Quite apart from its plangent tone and clarity of texture, a harpsichord has contrasting registers and stops the piano cannot quite replicate: multiple instruments in single box. Esfahani gave each movement its own distinctive colour and presence in the suite, culminating in the closing Echo, a sort of mini-concerto in which he played soloist and orchestra all at once.