# Mahan Esfahani at Alfred Hertz Memorial Concert Hall, April 2, 2023

[Cal Performances](https://calperformances.org/events/2022-23/early-music/mahan-esfahani-harpsichord-2223/) presents [Mahan Esfahani](http://www.mahanesfahani.com/)  
[Alfred Hertz Memorial Concert Hall](http://music.berkeley.edu/about-us/resources-and-facilities/performance-spaces/)  
[U.C. Berkeley, 101 Cross-Sproul Path, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=U.C.+Berkeley,+101+Cross-Sproul+Path,+Berkeley,+CA+94704+USA&hl=en)  
3:00 PM, Sunday, April 2, 2023

[[2023-04-01|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2023|Up to the 2023 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2023#April_events|Up to the 2023 event list!]] ☸ [[2023-04-02-2|On to the next event!]]

## Set One

[3:07 PM] {lights down, no announcements}  
[3:08 PM] {ME out}

### Three pieces by William Byrd

01. [3:09 PM] William Byrd (ca. 1540–1623): _Lachrimae Pavan_, after John Dowland (1563–1626)'s original for lute, F. No. 57; FVB No. 121
02. [3:13 PM] Byrd: _The Bells_, FVB 69
03. [3:17 PM] Byrd: Fantasia, MB 27  
[3:24 PM] {Byrd set ends; applause; ME bow and then off briefly}

### J.S. Bach: English Suite in G minor, BWV 808

[3:25 PM] {ME out}

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (ca 1720)

01. [3:25 PM] Prélude
02. [3:28 PM] Allemande
03. [3:32 PM] Courante
04. [3:34 PM] Sarabande
05. [3:36 PM] Gavotte I
06. [3:38 PM] Gavotte II ou Musette
07. [3:41 PM] Gigue  
[3:44 PM] {set ends; applause; bows}  
[3:45 PM] {ME off for a break}

## Set Two

[4:05 PM] {lights down, ME out}

### Brett Dean: ByrdSong Studies

01. [4:06 PM] Brett Dean (b. 1961): _ByrdSong Studies_ (2021, US Premiere)  
[4:15 PM] {set ends}

### Domenico Scarlatti: Selected keyboard sonatas

Domenico Scarlatti (1685—1757)

01. [4:16 PM] Sonata in F major, K. 106, Allegro
02. [4:19 PM] Sonata in F major, K. 107, Allegro
03. [4:21 PM] Sonata in F minor, K. 466, Andante moderato
04. [4:28 PM] Sonata in D minor, K. 552, Andante
05. [4:31 PM] Sonata in C minor, K. 116, Allegro
06. [4:35 PM] Sonata in D minor, K. 32, Aria  
[4:41 PM] {set ends}  
   
**Encore**
07. [4:43 PM] György Ligeti (1923—2006): _Continuum_ (1968)  
[4:48 PM] {show ends}

## Performers

* [Mahan Esfahani](http://www.mahanesfahani.com/): harpsichord.
## Notes

It's really irritating when program notes fail to provide enough info to pin down what pieces are to be performed: is it really all that difficult to generate proper citations? In this case, I'm irked by everything about the Byrd set: I *think* I've gotten the initial work pinned down, but I'm quite confused to look into the second two titles and find references that mix them together (eg, "The Bells Fantasia MB 27"). Per a [Discogs listing of Byrd Fantasias](https://www.discogs.com/release/21600865-Glen-Wilson-William-Byrd-Complete-Fantasias-For-Harpsichord), I can see that part of the confusion is that MB 27 refers not to a single work, but to [an entire collection of works](https://stainer.co.uk/category/collected-editions/musica-britannica/mb-volume-27/). So much for precision, eh? Maybe Esfahani will explain...

Nope. ME says nothing whatsoever today, except to introduce the encore at the very end of the show. Strange!

And while I didn't think much of Dean's _ByrdSong Studies_, I thought the Ligeti encore was 'da bomb' -- it's a very physical piece, and Esfahani really nailed the percussive element that shines through the cascade of notes at the end. Yowza!

[Program Notes](https://calperformances.org/program-notes/2022-23/mahan-esfahani-harpsichord-2023/) or {{:2023:2023-04:20230402pn.pdf|program notes}}

{{tag>music Mahan_Esfahani Hertz_Hall}}

[[2023-04-01|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2023|Up to the 2023 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2023#April_events|Up to the 2023 event list!]] ☸ [[2023-04-02-2|On to the next event!]]