TRAVEL AND CHANGE

Apeiron Baroque

John Ma, violin

Marie Seales, harpsichord

Drew Ninnis, philosopher

Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest. June 9

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

You can always rely on Apeiron Baroque to pair unlikely and interesting combinations of topics and music.

Sublime musical pieces from the baroque era by the composers Veracini, Herschel, J. S. Bach, de Blainville, Roman, Telemann and Schmeltzer were played by John Ma, violin, and Marie Searles, harpsichord. These performers have formidable credits from both here and overseas.

John Ma and Marie Searles

In performance and teaching, John Ma has sought a balance between technique and playful exploration. Marie Searles is known for her engaging and sensitive approach to collaborative playing.

In addition to the music, they were joined by Canberra philosopher and academic, Drew Ninnis, who presented philosophical ideas around travel and change with delightfully dry humour.

Drew Ninnis

After a sensitive performance of Verracini’s Sonata Primo in G Minor had set the mood, Ninnis challenged the audience to consider whether people can change or whether they remain the same.

As the concert progressed, Ninnis posed more ideas to consider, based on writings from various philosophers, both ancient and modern. This juxtaposition between music and ideas added a thoughful dimension to the concert.

Suite Turque by Charles-Henri de Blainville, added an ancient air of mystery, finishing with a rousing final movement. Ninnis then took us travelling to philosophers’ magic mountains, ending with the thought that we should consider who we will be tomorrow. A Sarabande by Bach and, particularly, a reflective movement from Assaggio for Solo Violin by Johan Roman, underlined these thoughts.

In a particularly light-hearted moment, Ninnis related a favourite personal memory of a long-gone family member who is no longer with us, but, whenever that memory is recalled, she is momentarily alive again. Death is the biggest change of all, he said, and we might just as well die in a way that is as hilarious as possible. While we pondered this idea, Telemann’s sensitive Sonata V in G major was played.

Introduced by Ninnis, who reminded us that every moment in our lives we are confronted by choice, the final piece, Sonata Quarta by Johann Schmelzer, was sentimental and melodic.

The music in this unusual and entertaining concert was beautifully played by John Ma and Marie Searles. It was a challenge at times to clearly understand the spoken words, due to the reverberation in the church, but Drew Ninnis was a charming, funny and knowledgeable presenter.

 

Photos by Peter Hislop

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 10 June 2024.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.