Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Grainger Studio. 16 April 2014
A symphony orchestra has a responsibility, arguably, to do more than dish up a staple diet of ‘tried and tested’ masters, and to bring new and notable music to the table as well. This is precisely what the ASO did in its recent concert, and two of the three compositions were by Australians. The odd man out, and the least satisfying despite the expressed enthusiasm of guest conductor Jessica Cottis, was ‘The Fall of the Leafe’ by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, a contemporary British composer and current master of the Queen’s Music.
For string orchestra, ‘The Fall of the Leafe’ is based on a keyboard composition by 16th century composer Martin Peerson. Davies adaptation permutes the notes and metre of the original and effectively conjures up an autumnal setting as gentle but erratic breezes unsettle leaves from trees. The piece comprises numerous short phrases and the entire musical contour is somewhat jaggy. Cottis certainly demonstrated a feel for the changing dynamics and sensitively controlled the fortissimos that were immediately and abruptly followed by the softest of pianissimos.
‘Two Memorials (for Anton Webern and John Lennon)’, by Australian composer James Ledger, was the highlight of the concert. Comprising two linked but very different pieces, the two ‘memorials’ remember the musical lives of two very different modern composers who share the unfortunate link of both having been shot dead! The memorial to Webern, like ‘The Fall of the Leafe’, comprised seemingly sporadic musical ideas that were deeply textured and atonal. It contrasted with the almost playful memorial to Lennon that referenced the famous 1967 Beatles song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and contained some electronic chicanery in the form of sampled sections from the Webern memorial that were played in reverse on an electronic keyboard.
If Brett Dean had composed his ‘Pastoral Symphony’ in post-Stalinist Russia, he would probably have been locked up and his music banned, because it is subversive. It is protest music. It remonstrates against the destruction of virgin rain forest in the northern Australian tropics, and the resulting destruction of the habitat of native fauna. It is somewhat unsettling music, as one hears birdsong – both mimicked by musical instruments and actual recordings – transmute into the sounds of machinery and the ungodly sounds of a world that is rapidly losing its natural environment. Some of these sounds were created by synthesizer and others by the effective use of aluminium cooking foil (!) and a violin bow being drawn across percussion instruments.
As evocative as the compositions by Davies and Dean were, they didn’t resonate with the audience as much as the two memorials by Ledger.
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Grainger Studio
Bookings: Closed
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Town Hall. 9 April 2014
‘Russian Dreams’ was the first of three ‘Composers in Focus’ programs generously supported by RBS Morgans in alliance with CIMB. The series is casual and informative: the orchestra is dressed casually but smartly in black – not a tail suit in sight – and local composer and musicologist Richard Chew addresses the audience at the beginning of each half and delivers an incisive overview of the music and the composer. It’s an early start and therefore an early finish as well.
Arvo Volmer led the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in three works by Tchaikovsky and one by his contemporary Rimsky-Korsakov. Tonight a number of the principal musicians were not performing and their responsibilities were taken up by associates, but it had no impact on the overall quality of the evening.
The horns, brass and woodwind were exceptionally pleasing, as usual. The joie de vivre of the ever-popular Polonaise from Act III of Tchaikovsky’s opera ‘Eugene Onegin’ was palpable, and Volmer ensured that the last section of the Act I Introduction to ‘The Queen of Spades’ was luscious.
Ike See, who is normally the Associate Concertmaster, was soloist in Rimsky-Korsakoff’s Concert Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra on Two Russian Themes. This is not one of his most gripping compositions, and doesn’t have the same virtuosic elements as say the Capriccio Espagnol, (which was his very next opus), but it abounds with moments of lyricism. Ike See’s playing was assured and confident, and he produced tonal clarity that demanded respect.
Chew informed us that Tchaikovsky, for whatever reason, made very heavy weather of his first symphony, subtitled ‘Winter Dreams’ – “It just wouldn’t come out”! It’s first two movements are named but the final two are not perhaps indicative of Tchaikovsky’s difficulties in finalising the work. The woodwinds and horns were on top of their game in the ‘Land of Desolation’ second movement, and the strings drew out the balletic themes in the third. Volmer threw the might of the orchestra at the final movement without losing any of its inherent tension.
The next ‘Composers in Focus’ concert is on Wednesday 4 June and will focus on Smetana (The Bartered Bride Overture), Mozart (with celebrated pianist Howard Shelley playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23), and Dvořák (Symphony No. 6).
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
Recitals Australia. Elder Hall. 7 April 2014
For this performance two celebrated Australian musicians – composer/pianist Elena Kats-Chernin and pianist Tamara-Anna Cislowska – gave a recital with a refreshing difference to a substantial audience at Elder Hall. Anyone looking for standard fare would have been disappointed as Kats-Chernin and Cislowska shook off the archetypal image of straight-laced concert musicians and gave a relaxed but deeply satisfying kaleidoscopic survey of Kat-Chernin’s oeuvre through the two lenses of improvisation and transcription. Both artists sat at the one piano on separate benches, occasionally swapping registers. The consummate Cislowska took the more difficult part on most occasions, and played with fire, precision and clarity, while Kats-Chernin extemporised at will but always stayed true to the composition and never injected random suspect material. Of course she would not do anything different – after all, she wrote all the material – and our appreciation was enhanced by her brief spoken, and often humorous, introductions about each of the dozen miniatures that comprised the seventy-five minute program. This was the first time that both artists had performed a concert such as this in South Australia.
Some pieces were written for string quartet, others for baroque orchestra and choir, and some for the piano, but they were all transcribed for four hands at the piano and arranged to encourage improvisation.
The program commenced with ‘Two Stolen Pieces for Richard’ that began their lives as part of a string quartet. There was an insistence in the first piece – a sense of always moving forward – which contrasted with the lightly stepping melody of the second that gradually moved into darker and more textured harmonies but gave way to a gentle end. Kats-Chernin informed us that Richard was a talented emerging musician who had lost his life in a tragic accident. Knowing this took one’s appreciation to a different level that transcended the music.
In ‘April Code’ Kats-Chernin accompanied Cislowska who played a harmonica, which gave the piece a distinctive Parisian feel. Although ‘Prelude’ was written for orchestra plus choir, nothing was lost in the arrangement and the piece took on a new existence. ‘Russian Rag’ was a fascinating clash of cultures as the rag demonstrated tango rhythms and motifs from Russian liturgical music, all spiced up with dizzying arpeggios from Cislowska and a resounding clap of hands at the final beat that was quickly echoed by the diverse audience!
‘Russian Toccata’ was only premiered last year and was originally written for two hands but for this show was performed with four, while ‘Dance of the Paper Umbrellas’ sounded as if there were even more as Kats-Chernin and Cislowska expertly tossed off an object lesson in crisp staccato.
‘Vocalise’ was a highlight for me. Kats-Chernin explained she was inspired to write it on learning that one of her sons was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The word vocalise usually conjures up images of beautifully sung music, but in this case it is about the troubling voices that a schizophrenic imagines inhabit their mind. The piece features an ever-present droning motif in the lower register of the piano over which is written several extemporised melodies that are developed almost in the style of Philip Glass until they become dense and forceful. Then quite abruptly they cheerily fade away, but the insistent droning voice remains and thwarts any real sense of peace. An affecting piece.
‘Marcato’ was a transcription of a piece for orchestra and four saxophones and it was highly successful in imitating their distinctive timbre. ‘Waltz of Things Past’ was the most conventional and lyrical piece of the program, and the popular ‘Eliza Aria’ was another transcription that successfully imitated the human voice.
The concert finished with a bang, and allowed both artists to demonstrate their pianistic flair with Cislowska shouldering most of the heavy lifting. ‘Scherzino’ was improvised to the max, and it caused me to recall a concert given by Paul Grabowsky and Clemens Leske Jnr in the 2008 Fringe Festival when they presented an intriguing concert in the Elder Hall. Leske, a distinguished Australian pianist, performed Bach’s monumental Goldberg Variations in the first half and after the interval Grabowsky gave a masterful display of his improvisatory skills. He endlessly and inventively improvised the ‘aria’, which is first of the variations in the Goldberg. Leske used a standard umpteen-paged score, and Grabowsky relied on a few tattered pieces of paper that precariously balanced on the piano’s music stand! In ‘Scherzino’, Kats-Chernin and Cislowska did the same. Their score, which they showed to the audience, appeared to be scraps stuck to together but it sounded anything but. It had clear form and a driving purpose. It was toe tapping and almost edge-of-your seat stuff, and it finished abruptly leaving you wanting more.
Yes, a concert with a difference and one that Mark De Raad, President of Recitals Australia, his board and sponsors can be justly proud they entrepreneured. Brava!
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Elder Hall
Bookings: Closed
Master Series Two. Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Town Hall. 4 April 2014
During the interval I asked several acquaintances what they thought about Lutosławski’s Cello Concerto that had just been performed by American ‘cello legend’ Lynn Harrell who had been delighting audiences all week in the Adelaide International Cello Festival. “Interesting, but not entirely enjoyable” said one, and “Harrell was certainly entertaining, but I disliked the music” said another. For myself, I have owned a recording of the work for a number of years, and have not found it easy to come to grips with, and in truth I rarely listen to it. It is an unconventional concerto, and Lutosławski is an unconventional composer. However, it is another example of a musical composition that needs to be seen and heard, not just heard. Audio recordings alone cannot do this work justice.
I recall a recent experience during the Adelaide Festival when it was my very great privilege and joy to hear and see the Australian String Quartet perform George Crumb’s highly innovative ‘Black Angels’. Lutosławski’s cello concerto is the same deal but for a slightly different reason. Lynn Harrell’s performance demonstrated that some compositions demand the musician to be an actor as well, and to communicate to the audience through some of the non-musical ideas that are part of the work, such as inattentiveness, boredom, surprise, irritation, deep concentration, anger, and even bloody mindedness!
The concerto begins with the solo cello repeatedly playing Ds, for more than four minutes! The rhythm, dynamics and tempo are indistinct and variable. Some audience members took a little time to realise that the work had actually commenced – they thought Harrell was still tuning his instrument, and the look on his face was priceless. An actor would say that he had broken the ‘fourth wall’ as he paid direct attention to individual audience members, winked and wryly smiled at them, and gave a ‘thumbs up’! Eventually the trumpets abruptly interrupted the cello from its selfish monotony and demanded its attention. Harrell looked shocked, almost bemused, and his facial antics evoked even more giggles but gradually he/the cello was drawn into the world of the behemoth that was the orchestra, and the piece was by now well underway; you either resisted getting involved, or you let it sweep you away. Harrell was masterful in conveying the drama, humour and pure human emotion of the piece. If I listen to my recording again - if - then I’m certain my enjoyment will be greatly enhanced for having witnessed a cello great interpret a remarkable piece of music.
The evening began with an exciting reading of Rossini’s ever popular ‘William Tell Overture’ under the expert baton of Arvo Volmer. Noting that the piece features the cello prominently, it was in many ways a perfect curtain raiser on the Lutosławski and reminded us that the whole week has been about the cello. Volmer invited Ewan Bramble (acting principal cello) to take the first bow, and it was greatly deserved.
After interval Volmer led the orchestra in a luscious reading of Brahms ‘Symphony No. 2 in D’. It is full of beautiful themes and is a crowd favourite. Volmer is always keen to unleash the might of the orchestra but he properly observed the lighter sections and allowed various soloists to have the prominence the piece demands.
The audience was thunderous in its applause and left well satisfied – for some the Brahms restored their faith, but for others the unique experience of the Lutosławski was still at the front of their minds.
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
Adelaide Youth Orchestra. Elder Hall. 30 Mar 2014
In the space of a week Adelaide audiences have been treated to performances of two of Dvořák’s greatest symphonic works – Symphony in G (No. 8) last week by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and now the better known Symphony in E minor (No. 9) performed by the Adelaide Youth Orchestra (AdYO).
AdYO concerts are vital affairs. The venues are packed with devoted fans and supporters, and there is a palpable air of expectation and excitement. At the final beat of the conductor’s baton it is guaranteed that the audience will erupt into heartfelt and appreciative applause with whoops of ‘Bravo!’. This concert was no exception.
Popularly known as “From the New World”, Dvořák’s ninth Symphony was composed while he resided and worked in the USA (‘the new world’) in the early 1890s. The work is often thought to be influenced by the musical traditions of native North Americans and traditional African-American spirituals, but any influence stops short of direct quotations. However, if the composition’s nickname had never been coined it is likely that no such connection would ever have been popularised. But, Dvořák is reported to have quipped that he would not have composed the way he did while in America, if he had not in fact seen America. He is also reported to have been inspired by the wide-open spaces, and the ninth symphony is indeed expansive, particularly the beautiful and languid melody (“Goin’ Home”) in the second movement. Conductor Keith Crellin coaxed a big sound from AdYO – it filled the Elder Hall – and the trombones, trumpets and wood-wind were particularly fine. The flutes introduced thematic material with clarity, and the cor anglais was almost sublime with “Goin’ Home”. Crellin exerted skilful control to ensure that abrupt changes in time signatures were mostly well handled and the piece didn’t run away with the youthful enthusiasm of the orchestra!
Saint-Saens wrote his third and last violin concerto for the Spanish composer and virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate. It is perhaps not as technically difficult as the first two (and neither is it easy by any stretch!) but its melodic inventiveness, pan-European diversity of musical influences, and occasional foray into what can almost be described as impressionism, place considerable interpretative demands on the soloist. If these demands are not successfully negotiated then the entire piece runs the risk of become overly emotional and melodramatic. But young violinist Tianyou Ma took it all in his stride and played with the skill and acuity of someone much older than his tender fourteen years. It is no wonder that the eminent Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK wants to take him on as a student later this year. Who knows where his talent will take him – the world of the professional soloist is a cut-throat one – but Tianyou Ma deserves to have a long, auspicious and conspicuous career. I would have liked him to have attacked the dramatic moments of the first and third movements more than he did in order to create expectant tension (just as the great Jacqueline du Pre did at the cello entry in the first movement of Dvořák’s great cello concerto). That aside, Tianyou Ma’s lyricism in the second movement andantino was simply beautiful.
The concert began with an emphatic and well-articulated performance of Aaron Copeland’s iconic “Fanfare for the Common Man” performed by an ensemble selected from AdYO’s brass and percussion. It was the perfect curtain raiser to a very satisfying concert!
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Elder Hall
Bookings: Closed