Documents |
| Richard Egarr biography |
Download |
| Richard Egarr discography |
Download |
| Richard Egarr press kit |
Download |
| Richard Egarr press quotes |
Download |
| Richard Egarr sample conducting programmes |
Download |
| Richard Egarr sample harpsichord recital programmes |
Download |
| Richard Egarr short biography |
Download |
Photos |
 |
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
 |
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
 |
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
 |
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
 |
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
|
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
 |
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
 |
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
 |
Richard Egarr (credit: Marco Borggreve) |
Download |
Iestyn Davies and Richard Egarr at Wigmore Hall
Hilary Finch, The Times
16 January 2011
Just when you’ve decided that Wigmore Hall really is the best concert hall in Britain, it gets better. And better. There’s always a lot to celebrate, but this was an evening to mark the hall’s 110th anniversary season and, specifically, to honour John Gilhooly’s ten years of transformational work as director.
There was champagne for everyone. And the bubbles rose up through the music. This was an evening of baroque virtuosity from one of the most accomplished countertenors and from quite the twinkliest pair of harpsichord hands in the business. There isn’t a weak spot in the entire vocal range of Iestyn Davies. Whether in the sustained low register of dark lament, or whether hurling the voice high in the exuberance of triumphant love, his is a countertenor which gives unalloyed pleasure. No distracting ego projection or self-consciousness either: simply a strength of musicianship and imagination which grip the attention in every second.
Add to this the inventive skills of Richard Egarr, improvising, embellishing and tinting every turn of phrase in his accompaniments, and an irresistible musical chemistry is created. Egarr also had his solo spots. He made us hear Frescobaldi’s Toccata Settima as though the ink were barely dry: even the final chord seemed to take him by surprise. And for the composer’s Capriccio sopra Ut re mi fa sol la, Egarr climbed up the opening scale with droll understatement, only to tease it into transformation and to delight in its more wayward harmonies. His Handel D minor Suite was a triumph of fancy over form.
A similarly delicious unpredictability characterised Egarr’s accompanying. It seemed to spur Davies to both fiery virtuosity, as in Vivaldi’s sea-storm of a Cantata, Pianti, sospiri, and to focus an inner intensity. The ten-minute sacred lullaby by Merula, Canzonetta spirituale sopra alla nanna was mesmerising in its haunting refrain, suspended high in the head voice, as the Christ child’s present and future were seen in poignant double-vision. Words pulsed along the line over dogged ground-basses, lovers languished in works by Cesti and Porpora, and a capacity audience clearly wanted the encores to go on all night.
Back to Top