Time Present and Time Past

Time Present and Time Past is the Deutsche Grammophon debut of the Tehran-born harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, recorded with Concerto Köln in Cologne in September 2014 and released on the Archiv Produktion label on 11 May 2015. Taking its title from T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets, it sets three Baroque works on the La Follia theme, by Alessandro Scarlatti, C. P. E. Bach and Francesco Geminiani, beside Górecki's Harpsichord Concerto (1980), Steve Reich's Piano Phase arranged by Esfahani for two harpsichords, and J. S. Bach's Harpsichord Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052. It was the first harpsichord disc released by Deutsche Grammophon in more than thirty years. Critics agreed on the quality of Esfahani's playing but were divided over the programme and over Concerto Köln's accompaniment.