‘Esfahani’s playing is colourful and magnetic, the fingerwork in the more virtuoso works absolutely clean and articulate. The mean-tone tuning gives the accidentals and chromatic outliers in the more harmonically meandering of the pieces a wonderfully piquant twang … robust, vital and exciting’ (Gramophone)
‘The Passinge mesures roams through England's musical landscape around the time of Shakespeare, John Donne and Sir Thomas More … these works have sometimes been handled as trifles or decorative miniatures, but Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani treats them as profoundly expressive and introspective works. Here measured, there free, his readings highlight the ebb and flow of their poetry and prose; phrases are rhetorically articulated. Esfahani’s muscular technique enhances the robust rhythms of popular dances like the galliard, jig and romanesca, and his response to Byrd’s hexachord fantasy is visceral rather than cerebral’ (BBC Music Magazine)
PERFORMANCE RECORDING
‘A recital that makes merry with any perceived limitations of early keyboard instruments … a seemingly inexhaustible supply of colour, dramatic potential, joyfully expressive variations of tempo and articulation—and the recorded sound displays Esfahani’s flair and the instruments’ range with immersive realism. He sounds as though he’s having a wonderful time … an outstanding harpsichord recital in every way—don’t leave it to the historic keyboard fanatics!’ (BBC Record Review)
‘This recording provides further confirmation of Mahan Esfahani’s status among the finest keyboard players of his generation. For listeners who relish challenging material and interpretations on the harpsichord, he is perhaps the most exciting exponent in the present day … I found that Esfahani’s interpretations on his chosen instruments gave me fresh insights into pieces by composers with whom I am very familiar. I hope other readers will investigate this thoughtful, stimulating and quite outstanding record’ (Early Music Review)
» More‘Mr Esfahani is an all-too-rare presence in the harpsichord world. First, he is erudite and indefatigable in his study of the context surrounding the music he plays. (His far-reaching liner notes excite me as much as his performance.) Second, he has amazing technique, amply illustrated by many tracks on this recording, including the notoriously fiendish Barafostus Dreame of Tomkins. And finally, he never allows the often doctrinaire world of historically-informed performance to interfere with his musical instincts and his search for a truly expressive solution to every phrase he plays … each performance is as close to perfection as I can imagine’ (American Record Guide)
» More‘As exhilarating a musical experience as I know … even Liszt would doff the cap at Esfahani’s furious arpeggios and decorative flourishes, fingers flying at the speed of light … definitely one of my albums of the year’ (The Times)
» More‘An attractive disc, offering satisfying variety. It wins my whole-hearted recommendation’ (MusicWeb International)
» More‘Esfahani keeps a tight rein on the thrillingly vigorous strains in these pieces so that they do not run wild but come off with quiet bravado … it is the vitality and integrity of Esfahani’s performances, which are very well recorded, that stand out in bringing this ancient music to life’ (Classical Source)
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