Bach’s sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord are
better known through arrangements - cello and piano, cello
and harpsichord, viola and harpsichord - than in their original
configuration. Daniel Yeadon and Neal Peres Da Costa, demonstrate
the musical value of returning to the original instrumentation
in these impressively lively, engaging and historically sensitive
accounts. The timbral and dynamic variety within the gamba
sound was clearly at the forefront of Bach’s mind as
he wrote these sonatas, the singing quality at the top, the
satisfying lugubriousness lower down, differences that neither
the cello nor the viola is quite capable of capturing.
The works are essentially trio sonatas, with contrapuntal melodic
lines in the gamba and harpsichord right hand over a continuo
(but rarely figured) bass in the left. This can cause problems
of balance, given the harpsichord’s lack of punch and
the disparity between the opulent upper register and diminutive
lower register of the gamba. The clarity of both instruments
at all registers on this recording is admirable, but the harpsichord
right hand is almost always the most dominant of the three
parts. This allows the gamba to weave in and out rather than
dominate as a solo instrument, although Bach’s use of
the gamba’s upper strings to cut through the counterpoint
is elegantly represented. The Eugene Goossens Hall in Sydney
has a satisfyingly resonant acoustic, and both instruments
benefit from the acoustical warmth it offers. The Allegro moderato
finale of the first sonata is the only movement on the disc
in which the contrapuntal detail is threatened by the resonance,
and even here the risk pays off, the ambience giving the harpsichord
lines valuable continuity.
The performances are lively and engaging, and the occasionally
daring tempi never fail to convince. The opening movement of
the second suite is a case in point. The square brackets around
the adagio on the track listing suggest scepticism that the
indication was Bach’s own. With this in mind, the incredibly
slow tempo is a brave interpretive decision, but again, the
timbral richness of both instruments, the warmth of the hall
and some appropriately discrete ornamentation and rubato ensure
that the results make perfect musical sense.
Of the three suites, the third is the most interesting. Bach
increases the textural variety to include passages in parallel
6ths between the harpsichord right hand and gamba,
large leaps between the gamba strings and even at one point
quadruple stopping. Both players make the most of these textural
details, without undue exaggeration, bringing the programme
to an impressive and satisfying conclusion.
Musically accomplished performances then, and excellently served
by both the choice of venue and the sound recording. In terms
of the post-production, intervals between the tracks are on
the long side, slightly compromising the integrity of each
of the suites, especially given the disciplined cadences with
which the players end each movement. The liner notes by Neal
Peres Da Costa are insightful and comprehensive, even going
so far as to describe the harpsichord to those unfamiliar with
the instrument. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is
evidently anticipating a very broad audience, and well they
might. It is a recording that will be of equally high value
to those familiar with the works, those new to them, and those
new to them in their original form.
Gavin Dixon
Daniel Yeadon (viola da gamba) 
