If anyone is going to make the harpsichord cool, it's Mahan Esfahani. The Iranian-born musician has achieved many firsts for the instrument: performing the first solo harpsichord recital at the BBC Proms, being named the BBC New Generation Artist from 2008-2010, receiving a a Borletti-Buitoni Trust prize and being shortlisted for both the Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year and Gramophone Artist of the Year.
He has been playing at some of the most prestigious concert venues in the world as a solo harpsichordist, and teaches the instrument at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. His new album, Time Present and Time Past, is his first album with with Deutsche Grammophon and is out now. The record spans a huge variety of music showing the as-yet untapped potential of the harpsichord, and as a result has been awarded our Qobuzism distinction.
Qobuz met up with Mahan in person to have a chat about his influences and what the harpsichord means to him, as well as recording an exclusive session of Mahan performing some of his new tracks.
1. Josef Suk/ Josef Hala on 'BnF' series Grieg violin sonata, slow movement (track 6) My friends know that I am an insatiable acolyte for Czech music and musicianship. Josef Suk is probably my favourite violinist, and this track with the incomparable pianist Hala is just at the top of my list for sheer beauty.
2. Artur Grumiaux on DG re-issue of Bach Sonatas and Partitas Largo from Sonata in C-Major, disc 2 track 3 Grumiaux made two recordings of the solo sonatas and partitas for violin. The earlier one is by far my preferred version. It's the kind of Bach I like - warm, searching, timeless.
3. Pierre Boulez/ Complete Webern box set disc 1, track 13: Ricercar a 6 of J.S. Bach, transcribed by Webern One of the great composers transcribing the greatest composer, conducted by a great composer. This really needs no explanation.
4. Esa-Pekka Salonen/ L.A. Philharmonic Ligeti, Concerto Romanesc track 4 (last mvmt.) I first heard this three years ago and since then I am fascinated by Ligeti. Like Bach, he never ceases to astound me with his incredible sense of variety.
5. Willem Mengelberg/ St. Matthew-Passion on Naxos Historical Disc 3, track 4: recitativo - "Ach Golgatha" This is a very moving recording whose circumstances of live performances are remarkable. It was given on Palm Sunday in 1939, the last great pre-War passion. I can't quite describe how I feel about this, but there's something in the larmoyant silkiness of Ilona Durigo's alto voice that I find otherworldly.
6. the Stanley Brothers: Complete Mercury Recordings Disc 2, track 8: "Angel Band" the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" awakened within me a serious love for American country and bluegrass music, to the extent that before I decided to become a performer I was considering studying for a PhD in musicology specialising in American music. The Stanley Brothers exemplify everything that I cherish in this music.
7. Ralph Kirkpatrick, Twenty Sonatas (Scarlatti) - DG/Archiv Blue series track 5, K. 318 F-sharp major Ralph Kirkpatrick is one of my idols. In fact, there are so many similarities between our lives that I do sometimes ask myself whether I purposefully modelled my life on his! But there are too many coincidences that have been out of my control. Though, of course, I could only hope to play like him in a million years.
8. Pierre Monteux, Complete RCA recordings disc 1, track 8: last movement of Cesar Franck Symphony in d To me, this is the most perfect symphony ever written, and every time I hear it I become quite emotional. I wish I could pick all three tracks of the entire symphony, but the last movement will do.
9. SWR/Hannsler - Sviatoslav Richter 1994 recital track 5 - Prelude from Cesar Franck's Prelude, Choral et Fugue Can you tell that I am interested in the music of Franck? Richter is a model for all keyboardists - including harpsichordists! What a risk-taker. What a giant.
10. Whitney Houston/ soundtrack of "The Preacher's Wife" track 10: I Believe in You and Me So, here's a big secret: I'm a fan of Whitney Houston's. She was a hell of a singer. I've probably seen 'the Bodyguard' and 'The Preacher's Wife' about 20 times each. Of course, the first film is more famous in Europe, but the second film, with Denzel Washington, is just charming and a great Christmas film. I suppose at this point it should be quite obvious that my tastes are quite bourgeois.
11. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg / Karl Bohm and Vienna State Opera/ 1944 frankly, I'd like to include the entire closing scene of my favourite opera. But "Wahn, uberall Wahn" will do, if I must choose! To me, Die Meistersinger exemplifies all that gives life meaning, and I see in it a serious philosophy of life.
12. Elgar/ Dream of Gerontius, cond. Benjamin Britten (Decca re-issue) cd 1, track 8: 'Sanctus fortis, Sanctus Deus' Ever since I saw Ken Russell's unforgettable film on Edward Elgar, I have been converted to the greatness of this composer. People still don't understand him, I think. The Dream of Gerontius can help! Another recording of great music conducted by a great composer.
13. Nina Simone/ Saratoga track 7 - 'Mississippi Goddamn' Nina Simone is one of those musicians who exemplified my personal ideal of a musician's craft as being an extension of philosophy and the craft of life.
14. Charles Aznavour - Aznavour 65, original album track 5: 'Isabel' My parents used to listen to this song a lot when I was a teenager. I probably listen to it once a week.
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