Harpsichordists rarely make it into headlines: it’s a quiet profession. But a notable exception is Mahan Esfahani, the provocative, outspoken master-maverick of his world (think Boris Johnson crossed with Stephen Fry) whose recent claims to fame include a fracas at a concert in Cologne, where he played modern music to a hostile audience and then lectured them on why they ought to like it.
Anyone who manages to generate such lively feelings in a classical performance gets my vote. And Esfahani isn’t just a controversialist. He thinks, with wits as rapid as his fingers. He’s sophisticated, eloquent, impressive. And to hear him play – in music old or new – is thrilling; as it was when he was at the Royal Overseas League for a concert with a band that called themselves the Russian Virtuosi.
