Adelaide Festival. Adelaide Town Hall. 8 Mar 2022
Famed Russian-born pianist Konstantin Shamray tentatively raised the microphone and carefully enunciated to the near-capacity audience in the Town Hall: “I feel great shame today.”
The applause was instant, prolonged, and heartfelt. It not only came from the audience, but also from the members of the Australian String Quartet onstage with him. It almost became uncomfortable – not only for Shamray, but also for the members of the ASQ onstage with him; though not as uncomfortable and perilous as life currently is for the people of the Ukraine.
This was the start of a memorable evening of music-making that people will talk about for years, as indeed they should.
The concert itself was never actually programmed to happen at all, but was a late addition to the Festival program because of the unavailability of Karin Schaupp and the Flinders Quartet. As they say, every grey cloud has a silver lining, and the concert delivered by Shamray and the ASQ was sterling.
The concert featured Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G minor, Op.47, and Beethoven’s String Quartet No.9 in C, Op. 59 No. 3 known as the ‘Razumovsky’. When Shamray and the ASQ were asked to put the program together, never did they realise their Russian infused program would be so pertinent. Shostakovich lived and composed during World War II – the quintet was written in 1940 – and he was for a time resistant to bend to the dictates of Stalin and the Russian leadership and he fell so completely out-of-favour that his own life was in real danger. Again , how apt that Shostakovich should be performed at this time and by an eminent Russian musician again calling out despotic political leaders.
The performance of the quintet was vital and passionate, but high emotion never gave way to mawkishness. At the piano, Shamray was crisp, articulated and consummately musical in everything that he did. His right hand work was spectacular with percussive treble notes having the semblance of a lone voice railing against the madness that thundered from the crashing bass chords coming from his left hand. The momentum Shamray generated was almost too much to bear. It was exciting, and the ASQ stayed with him all the way as they plumbed the introspective second fugal movement and gave way to the well-known jauntiness of the third. The dreamy violin work of Dale Barltrop and Francesca Hiew in the fourth movement, along with the warm yet delicate viola playing of Chris Cartlidge, and the teasing pizzicato of the sartorially ever-stylish Michael Dahlenburg, was transporting. The finale was spirited and resolved into something more contemplative.
This was a world class performance made all the more memorable by its juxtaposition with current world politics.
The Beethoven quartet was an altogether different affair. The Razumovsky doesn’t have the same firepower or impact of the Shostakovich, but the ASQ played it with an abundance of style and controlled vigour. They ensured the labyrinthine second movement – the backbone of the composition – remained lucid yet driven. Full marks to Barltrop for setting the direction and continually reminding us of the structure with thoughtful dynamics and wonderfully precise phrasing.
The Beethoven in many respects was the perfect foil for the Shostakovich, and the audience left not only with something deep to ponder, but also with a song on their lips, and a smile on their faces.
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
Adelaide Festival. Ayers House. 9 Mar 2022
Anna Goldsworthy and Andrew Haveron’s performance of Beethoven’s highly popular Violin Sonata No. 9, Op.47 – the so-called Kreutzer Sonata – was decidedly idiosyncratic. From the first edgy bowing of the violin to the first crashing chords on the piano it was clear that Goldsworthy and Haveron had something different to say.
The first movement was intensely passionate, bordering on restrained violence, but it was understandable because this performance was not just about the music. Each movement of Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata was prefaced by a recitation from Goldsworthy inspired by extracts from Tolstoy’s novella of the same name. Despite the disturbing nature of the chosen text, with topics that covered misogyny and sexual disfunction in marriage, her recitations were delivered with a cold detachment that bordered on being menacing. When would she lash out? Who would bear the brunt of it: the audience, or Haveron who played a silent character looking on knowingly? With such poisoned text, the fury that was injected into the music was understandable, and … satisfying. All of a sudden, such an iconic (and possibly over-performed) sonata had new life breathed into it, and it was electric.
The second and third movements were prefaced with more carefully chosen text and, like the first movement, they yielded a different response from Goldsworthy and Haveron, and from the audience.
Goldsworthy and Haveron are both exceptional musicians and their playing was a masterclass in style, technique, and deep musical understanding.
Empathetic lighting was chosen to add to the overall ambience of the concert room in Ayers House, leaving the audience in no doubt that classical music can be reinterpreted – it doesn’t just have to be about the music. It should be about reinvention and interpretation for new understanding if it is to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
This is an outstanding and unusual event.
Kym Clayton
When: 9 to 11 Mar
Where: Ayers House
Bookings: adelaidefestival.com.au
Adelaide Festival. Adelaide Town Hall. 5 Mar 2022
Haydn was commissioned by his royal patron and employer to compose many works and amongst the first were the so-called ‘time of day’ symphonies. There are three of them: Le Matin (The Morning), Le Midi (The Afternoon), and Le Soir (The Evening). It is thought they were written to not only impress Haydn’s employer, but also to curry favour with influential musicians who would be performing them by incorporating instrumental solo passages that were almost virtuosic. This was revolutionary at the time in a symphony – to foreground so many instruments – and it is unusual even today. The symphonies are relatively short in duration, and are not frequently included in standard orchestral repertoire. So, what a delight to be able to hear them all, and performed at the time of day appropriate to their names.
Performed over three hour-long concerts on a single day in the wonderful acoustic and ‘old-world’ ambience of the Adelaide Town Hall, the Australian Haydn Ensemble presents a wonderful program featuring Haydn’s three ‘time of day’ symphonies, three of his keyboard concerti, the very first keyboard compositions by Mozart for keyboard, and three sinfonias by CPE Bach. Threes abound!
Played expertly on mostly period instruments (or modern ones crafted in period style), the three programs provide a wonderful musical survey of the music of the late 18th century.
The Australian Haydn Ensemble’s playing is typified by clarity and precision, but never devoid of passion and apparent impulse. Energetically conducted by Erin Helyard from the keyboard – also a genuine instrument from the period lovingly and expertly refurbished by Australian craftsman Carey Beebe – and skilfully led by violinist Skye McIntosh, the Ensemble impresses with every note and every phrase. The clarity and precision is not coldly clinical – it is a living thing that is impatient to evolve and continually strive for flawlessness. It’s really quite astonishing, and the audience applauded enthusiastically whenever it got the chance.
Individual musicians (including violin, violone, viola, bass, cello, flute, bassoon, and horn) excel in their performances of the challenging lyrical passages that provide the spice of the Haydn symphonies. Haydn’s orchestration is perfect, and allows the solos to be clearly heard, as well as the harpsichord, and Helyard and McIntosh ensure this happens.
The Ensemble’s performances of the CPE Bach sinfonias are as good as you will hear anywhere in the world. They are played with brightness, and the occasional adventurous harmony and rhythm sound instantly fresh.
Helyard’s expertise at the harpsichord is palpable. His performance of the Mozart keyboard pieces allows them to be heard with fresh ears. Yes, they are ‘youthful’ and ‘immature’ compositions, but Helyard is not dismissive and allows the fledgling genius to shine through.
These three programs are the true stuff of major festivals. Hearty thanks and congratulations to the Adelaide Festival for bringing the Australian Haydn Ensemble to Adelaide for the first time ever, and for programming such an enthralling musical event.
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
★★★★
Adelaide Fringe. Pilgrim Uniting Church. 23 Feb 2022
It’s a big call to name any composer as the greatest ever, let alone four of them even if the field of contenders is narrowed down to those whose surnames all begin with the letter B, but that is precisely what The Adelaide Virtuosi Trio have done in their concert The 4 Greatest Classical B’s. Of course it’s a programming and marketing ploy, but there can be no doubt that the four B’s they’ve selected – Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and Bartok – loom large in the pantheon of greats and almost any selection of their compositions provides a solid survey of the history of western art music.
The Adelaide Virtuosi Trio comprises Adam Rybovic (piano), Marta Sutora (violin), and Matej Sutora (violin). They are accomplished professional musicians who all have their roots in Slovakia. For their well-attended concert they have chosen Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1403, Beethoven’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 in F, Op.50, Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D, Op.77 (second movement), and Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, Sz.68. In some ways it is a risky program: all pieces are well known to audiences, and expectations are understandably high.
To a person, the Trio’s playing is lyrical and underscored by understanding and enthusiasm, without being zealous or overly demonstrative.
The Sutora’s articulated the two violin lines in the Bach with notable clarity, with one gently retreating when it is time for the other to feature.
Rybovic and Matej Sutora performed the Romance, and easily conveyed the ample melody. Rybovic was perhaps a little too generous on the pedal in some of the unaccompanied sections.
Marta Sutora replaced Matej Sutora in the Brahms, and Rybovic played the piano reduction of the orchestral part. The pace was comfortable and dreamy, and despite the adagio marking could have been slightly more andante to ease the nakedness of the phrasing of the violin which is apparent when an orchestra is absent. When it was over, the sigh of contentment from sections of the audience was palpable.
The Bartók Dances were a highlight of the concert. The Trio found the playfulness in each dance, the innate lyricism, and downplayed the temptation to be percussive.
And there were encores, the highlight of which was a heartfelt performance of Chopin’s Ballade No.1 in G Minor, Op. 23, which he played as homage to his grandmother who recently passed away. It is one of Chopin’s most popular works and pops up in films from time to time. It evokes sorrow, majesty, contemplation, and passion. It evokes memories of loved ones.
This concert is accessible to a broad general audience and to aficionados alike.
Kym Clayton
When: 3 and 13 Mar
Where: Pilgrim Uniting Church
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Sanctuary series. Grainger Studio. 4 Feb 2022
We all naturally gravitate to music for many reasons, including to relax and to refresh. Unlike most (all?) other forms of human creativity and artistic expression, music promises the rare ability to alter our perspective of things, and the effect is almost immediate. The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s recently concluded Time and Space concert delivered on that promise, in spades.
In these COVID stricken times, the ASO has capitalised on the imperative to operate with a reduced audience and turned it into the silver lining of an otherwise grey cloud. Specifically, the seating for the concert is gloriously spaced with choices of either sitting or lying down on a yoga mat, or sitting in comfortable chairs that are well spaced. The lights in the Grainger Studio are dimmed throughout the concert, and there is silence between each piece of music and at the end – no applause.
For an hour there is the music, you, and your thoughts. Nothing else and it is transcendent.
David Sharp, who usually is a member of the ASO’s cello section, conducts with quiet confidence and assurance a program for string orchestra comprising Philip Glass’s Tirol concerto for piano and orchestra (second movement), Osvaldo Golijov’s Tenebrae (arranged by Sharp himself), Valentin Silvestrov’s Der Bote, and Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel. The music is deeply meditative and contemplative, and persuades you to settle back, close your eyes and forget the troubles of the outside world.
Michael Ierace finessed the complexities of the Glass concerto and made each hypnotic repetition sound fresh and new. Having the grand piano at the back of the orchestra is an interesting decision (presumably by Sharp), but in the context of the event it’s entirely appropriate not to have a visual focus on such an imposing instrument. The dominant sense is intended to be hearing. His playing in Silevstrov’s Der Bote is again haunting as it emerges from the back of the auditorium and creates a sense of aching longingness and pathos.
Originally written for soprano, clarinet and string quartet, Sharp’s arrangement of Golijov’s Tenebrae is mostly successful but perhaps works better with a smaller ensemble where the voices of individual strings can shine through with greater clarity.
For many, the highlight of the concert was a sublime performance of Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel, featuring Simon Cobcroft on cello and Ierace on piano. Again, the repetitive nature of the piece – with its exquisitely beautiful variations that are seemingly predictable but always a surprise – inspired a deep sense of calm and tranquillity and sent the audience out into the balmy evening refreshed and relaxed.
Bravo ASO. What a wonderful addition to our concert diary. This is the first of two concerts in the ASO’s Sanctuary Series, and the next one is in October and is not to be missed.
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Grainger Studio
Bookings: Closed