Badinage

FRANK CLIFF

Fressingfield Church

The second annual Fressingfield Festival closed on Saturday with a splendid recital by the ensemble Badinage.

Badinage exists to perform the repertoire of the late 17th early 18th century.

Paul Carroll, playing variously flute, oboe, bassoon and recorder, Gerrard McDonald on flute, oboe and recorder, ably supported by the

continuo of David Roland on harpsichord, and Sally Civvall, cello, brought variety and colour to a programme consisting most of sonatas by Vivaldi, Telemann, Handel and Bach.

It would be surprising if there were not some works from the vast output of these composers which sounded routine. Vivaldi's concerto for recorder RV 103 was such a one, not helped by the oboe being the only orchestral line apart from the continuo.

Again Bach's organ arrangement of Vivaldi's A minor two violin concertos, though admirably played by David Roland lacked the same sparkle as the wind sonatas.

All of these were

real gems, especially Telemann's infectiously melodic F major sonata for oboe and bassoon, and that by Handel for two recorders in the same key.

The pièce de résistance however was the finale work; Vivaldi's sonata for recorder and bassoon, a work so taxing for the soloists, especially the bassoon, that at the end it had both audience and performer gasping for breath.