Mahan Esfahani performs the Goldberg Variations in Philadelphia

By Cameron Kelsall, 25 February 2022

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“the Aria emerged at a daringly relaxed tempo, each note detached and floating in the air”

Reviewed at Benjamin Franklin Hall, American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia on 23 February 2022

Bach, Goldberg Variations, BWV988

Bach, Bist du bei mir, BWV508

Mahan Esfahani, Harpsichord

Andrew Manze excels in Sibelius and Mozart

Leighton Jones, 23rd March

Bookending a new harpsichord concerto from Gavin Bryars for the renowned virtuoso Mahan Esfahani, two underrated symphonies are given highly commendable performances in Liverpool.

****1

Music by non-dead people: Manchester Collective at the Proms

David Karlin, 17th August

Six pieces, all of them different, all of them new to the Proms, most by living composers, and all played superbly. A great contemporary music Prom.

****1

Mahan Esfahani and Sarah Connolly at Wigmore Hall

David Karlin, 14th June

A varied programme of harpsichord pieces interleaves with songs from Shakespeare and the following century.

***11

Baroque Futurism: Mesmerising soundscapes from Mahan Esfahani

Benjamin Poore, 17th January

Thrilling and spellbinding experimental music for harpsichord and electronics, performed by Mahan Esfahani.

*****

Thrilling Bach from Mahan Esfahani at Wigmore Hall

David Karlin, 9th February

To reach the mother lode of Bach's keyboard music, you have to listen to it on harpsichord, and today, no performer embodies that mother lode more than Mahan Esfahani.

****1

Mahan Esfahani's Prague tribute to Zuzana Růžičková

Frank Kuznik, 14th January

Czech harpsichord legend Zuzana Růžičková would have turned 91 on 14 January, making it an ideal night for a tribute concert featuring one of her star pupils, Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani. As he noted in brief remarks sandwiched between rousing renditions of Bach, “When she died, I lost a great teacher. But this country lost part of its history.

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Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall is a classical music critic and cultural reporter. He has written for Bachtrack since 2019, and his byline has appeared in many national and international classical music publications. Based in Philadelphia, he regularly travels around the United States for musical events. In addition to his career in journalism, Cameron also teaches in the Theatre Arts program at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a certified sommelier and avid home cook. His favorite composer is Mahler. Twitter: @CameronPKelsall.

Mahan Esfahani brings his gloriously esoteric Goldberg Variations to Philadelphia