Review of "The Musical World of Giacomo Casanova"
15th July 2007 7.30pm Rook Lane Code: 1514 Author: Ann Burgess
The pre-concert excitement at Rook Lane Chapel was palpable on Sunday evening.
The audience waited expectantly for one of the country's finest and best-loved actors,
Timothy West and one of the country's pre-eminent and much recorded harpsichordists, Sophie Yates to present a programme of words and music connected with that most sensationally infamous of eighteenth century characters, Casanova.
From the moment that the distinguished, velvet-clad figure of Mr West and the voluptuous Miss Yates, dressed in black but for her scarlet satin high heels and red jewelled necklace stepped onto the stage, one knew for certain that the audience was not to be disappointed. This was a most colourful and fascinating entertainment.
Timothy West set the scene, introducing us to Casanova, certainly the notorious womaniser of repute, but also violinist, priest, practitioner of the dark arts, escaped prisoner, spy and exile. He was thrown out of many of the major cities of Europe, just as, if he were alive in Britain today, he would undoubtedly be served with countless ASBOs.
Such was Mr West's phenomenal skill as a narrator that he made us hang on his every word, and in the safe confines of Rook Lane Chapel, we dared to laugh at Casanova's outrageous exploits.
Interspersed with readings from Casanova's diaries (and hasn't this been a good Festival for memoirs?) were pieces of music, played by Miss Yates on a beautifully-voiced double manual harpsichord by Andrew Garlick.
First came J S Bach's Concerto in D (BWV972), after Vivaldi, the Venetian connection with Casanova. Miss Yates used the contrasting timbres of the two keyboards to demonstrate concertante and ripieno sections to excellent effect, and soloed-out the right hand melody of the Larghetto on the lower manual in true organist's fashion. The fast movements with their airy, sparkling semiquavers displayed Sophie Yates' glittering technique.
Next we were treated to exquisite French works by Couperin, Rameau and Duphly stylishly played with a lovely sense of line, and most subtle pointing of unexpected harmonic shifts.
Later in the evening, Miss Yates left the flighty, fluid French style and crossed the Channel to the more measured, calm, naturalised British Handel, for parts of the E major Suite, ending with "The Harmonious Blacksmith". More delicacies were a sonata by the galant J C Bach, an Allegro by Thomas Arne (of "Rule Britannia" fame) and Mozart's Fantasia in D minor, the excuse for the inclusion of the Mozart being a somewhat spurious tale linking Casanova with a picnic with the cast of "Don Giovanni" in Prague.
But why quibble where magical music and splendid story-telling lead to a most memorable and enjoyable evening?
Ann Burgess
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