For the past several years, solo harpsichord recitals at the Carmel Bach Festival have featured keyboard player John Butt, whose rapier-sharp British wit and outspoken, humorous opinions made him something of an institution. I always thought of him as Masterpiece Theater's gift to the Carmel Bach Festival -- perhaps you could call him "Rumpole of the Harpsichord."
Well, this year there is a new hand at the tiller as the Festival introduced newcomer harpsichordist Michael Beattie in an afternoon recital at Sunset Center on Monday, July 17th, 2000. How was his performance? In one word ---fantastic!
A sober and dedicated musician, Beattie wove his own brand of magic throughout his hour-long recital. There was not one extraneous gesture. Everything was concentrated on the music, and it all worked.
Except for the Bach Partita No. 4 in D Major that ended the program, much of the music by composers Frescobaldi, Froberger and Rossi heard in this recital was unfamiliar to most concertgoers. The opening two works by Frescobaldi,
Toccata VII and
Partita sopra l'aria di Follia were sensitive performances demonstrating a beautiful balance between rhythmic steadiness and expressive freedom, as well as many examples of tasteful ornamentation and embellishment. We could observe him in between variations discretely making subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes in registration.
The Rossi
Toccata VII was full of surprises. It had unusual twists and turns in the melodies and harmonies, but its most astounding aspect was the shocking chromaticism at the end. It received a sold, rich performance that was a marvel of control and expression. The Froberger
Toccata III was one more wild piece full of unexpected delights, and it was yet another example of Mr. Beattie's magnificent oneness with his instrument.
The Bach Partita No. 4 that ended the program is with all its repeats a 35-minute work, and Mr. Beattie played all the repeats, adding occasionally some additional embellishment. The opening
Allemande with its magnificent fugue was played with unusual artistry so that all the details were beautifully clear. The
Sarabande received a magnificent, heartfelt performance and the closing
Gigue was a masterful performance from beginning to end.
Since the venue for most of the recitals has been moved from All Saints Church to Sunset Center Theater, which has almost three times the capacity of the Church, it was not unexpected that the audience filled approximately one third of the Theater. Also, despite the much-maligned acoustics at Sunset Center, we in the rear of the theater found the listening conditions quite satisfactory, even for an instrument as delicate as a harpsichord.
There is no doubt about it. Michael Beattie is a major artist, a master of his craft and a master musician who can scale any mountain. Let's hope that in future festivals there will be a place for him as concerto soloist in one of the Bach concerti.
End
