Music / Something Old, Something New, Apeiron Baroque. At Wesley Uniting Church, July 6.  Reviewed by MICHAEL WILSON.

The whole idea behind founding Apeiron Baroque (apeiron meaning boundless in Greek) was, according to co-founder and violinist John Ma, to present quality concerts “that are honest, raw and passionate in a casual atmosphere”.  

This accurately described a concert that was full of surprises and little-known composers, presented in an informative chatty style, and one that gave three talented young instrumentalists deserved exposure.

Matt Greco, of the Australian Haydn Ensemble and Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, opened with Ma for a violin duel for Giovanni Battista’s Sonate in F Major. It was an animated and joyous way to start, with Marie Searles on harpsichord underpinning the strings reliably and carrying the three-movement work forward with even tempo, alongside Pippa Macmillan on her Cremonese double bass from around 1750.

Soprano Susannah Lawergren (a frequent visitor to Canberra with The Song Company and other ensembles) joined for the surprisingly tempestuous La Rosa by Attilio Ariosti, telling of a rose battered by a storm, gradually recovering to radiate in sunshine.

In all, 13 works in the program showed off instrumentalists and singer in every possible combination, and in various styles, including very modern compositions with solid roots in the baroque. Of these, Michael Bakrnčev’s Thank You (text by Cate Kennedy) was especially effective, evoking the simultaneously fast and slow tempos of life immediately following a baby’s birth.

Other highlights included the allegro from Nicola Fiorenza’s concerto for three violins, with plenty of drama and assuredness from the players. Jose Pla’s allegro from the Trio Sonata in d minor showed off young violinist Brad Tham, playing in intricate duet with John Ma who gently tutored him in how to make the performance especially engaging for the audience to watch, as well as hear.

Likewise flutist Dante Costa, new to the baroque flute, shone with his polished playing, especially in the imitation of birdsong alongside Lawergren in Dominick Argento’s Spring (from his 20^th century cycle Elizabethan Songs). Likewise, Alex Munro (viola, tenor viola) cut a confident and extroverted figure throughout.

The only slightly odd staging choice was the placement of the harpsichord in transverse position in the sanctuary, which inhibited the instrument’s sound reflection, and presented the audience with Marie Searles’ back.

In all, this was a highly entertaining and informative concert of the baroque world’s lesser-known composers, and later inheritors of baroque traditions. John Ma and Susannah Lawergren introduced each bracket with animated stories about the composers and how Apeiron had come across their work.  Because of the relaxed setting, a couple of false starts were quickly laughed off.  That’s all part of seeing the ribs of good music-making.