Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Town Hall. 31 May 2025
And no sooner has it begun, and it’s over, and a new golden era for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra is in full flight.
Of course I’m referring to the ASO’s Brahms Symphonies festival, and to the triumph that is the appointment of Mark Wigglesworth as the new Chief Conductor of the ASO and him leading the orchestra through what has been a magnificent performance of the four Brahms symphonies, and he conducted them all from memory!
The fourth and final concert in the series was eclectic in its programming: with the Brahms Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op.98, we heard Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and the Australian première of Sir Stephen Hough’s Concerto for Piano (the world of yesterday) with no other than himself at the piano!
The Prelude is a lush piece, rich with totally appealing melodies that unfold and sustains interest from the first to the very last note. Indeed, a cornucopia of melody is a feature of the entire program. Principal flute Kim Falconer plays the opening theme of the Prelude and her musicianship is totally exposed for everyone to enjoy, and she comes up trumps as the purest and most heady tones are coaxed from her instruments. Not to be outdone, principal clarinet Dean Newcombe enters soon after with equally intoxicating tones, and then concertmaster Kate Suthers produces astonishingly ethereal sounds on violin as the full orchestra unfolds. Wigglesworth doesn’t interfere with the Debussy’s plan although there is the occasional judicious rubato as if the orchestra is yearning to luxuriate in what Debussy offers. The performance is a joy.
Debussy’s Prelude came at a time when the dictates of German (and Russian) music were being pushed gently aside as composers started exploring and developing new structures and sounds. They of course would not have been able to do that without standing on the shoulders of the giants who came before them, and the same is true of Hough’s piano concerto. At Hough’s own admission, his The World of Yesterday concerto takes inspiration from those composers who have inspired him throughout his own career, but the concerto is not derivative. It starts earnestly in a romantic manner, and is filmic throughout (again, at Hough’s own admission), and it strives to lose its romantic and filmic bonds to become something else. An extended cadenza follows that is dizzying to watch and settles on a short-lasting melody that explores its tonality. The prelude and cadenza first movement segues almost without stop into a suite of variations on a waltz rhythm and Hough’s scoring is delicate, almost thin at times, and grandiloquent at others. The marriage of gentle percussion (such as xylophone, snare drum) and piano in the second and third movements is especially effective, and the brisk rising and falling passage work from both piano and orchestra adds to the ever-present impression of driving momentum. It’s as if the piece doesn’t want to finish and is ever searching out new ways to build on practises of the past and brand ‘today‘ and ‘tomorrow yet to come’ on them!
Hough again demonstrated remarkable musicianship and showed us why he is at the height of his pianistic powers and one of finest musicians around. The audience applause was generous, loud and appropriately lengthy. Hough and Wigglesworth embraced and their mutual respect and admiration for each other is palpable. Hough’s concerto was composed mostly during the pandemic and was co-commissioned by the ASO. What superb foresight from the ASO!
But, to remind us from where we have come, musically speaking, what better than to finish with Brahm’s uber -melodic fourth symphony, which is surely at the pinnacle of his musical output. It’s iconic opening is well loved, and well known by concert goers, and so it was mildly surprising but pleasing that Wigglesworth took it at a marginally slower and measured pace than perhaps we are used to . Again, he conducted the symphony from memory and never, if the reader will excuse the expression, ‘missed a beat’! The first movement features a lush string section which announces a melody to which we often return. A sort of oasis. Before finding its way back to this refuge, the composition frequently flirts with contrasting rhythms and tempi, but Wigglesworth ensured the ‘oasis’ was consistent and reliable, and the audience luxuriated in it: there were many closed eyes and gently swaying heads.
As has often happened in this festival, there was spontaneous applause from the audience at the end of the first movement. Dean Newcombe’s plangent entry on clarinet in the early bars of the second movement was sublime, and the bombast of the third movement had the audience on the edge of their seats. The third movement is marked allegro giocosa, and it is almost exhausting from a listener’s perspective, so much so that its exuberant ending could easily be a suitable end for the symphony, but Brahms had more to say. The allegro energico e passionato fourth movement begins a gentle ‘letting down’ after the explosion of energy in the third, and Brahms skilfully revisits thematic material from the previous movements before an explosive tutti that emphatically says ‘and now I am done’!
The woodwinds, horns and brass were excellent during the symphony, and indeed throughout the entire program, and it was fitting that Wigglesworth asked them to take first bows. Wigglesworth also singled out percussionist Sami Butler who mischievously held his triangle aloft to the delight of the audience who laughed heartily. The humour was reminiscent of the March 12, 1984, front cover of the New Yorker magazine.
Bravo ASO. Bravo Mark Wigglesworth. Bravo Sir Stephen Hough. What a magnificent series of concerts. The future looks grand!
Kym Clayton
When: 31 May
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Town Hall. 28 May 2025
The third concert in the ASO’s Brahms Symphonies series included the ever-sunny Strauss waltz On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Op.314, Grieg’s iconic Concerto for Piano in A Minor, Op.16, and Brahms’ Symphony No.3 in F, Op.90.
Mark Wigglesworth took the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra to new levels of artistry, and Sir Stephen Hough made the Grieg concerto sound newly minted, and he almost didn’t need a conductor!
The entire concert was unhurried, and whether it be the Strauss, the Grieg or the Brahms, every phrase was meticulously crafted, and every note was painstakingly enunciated. It was like listening to the three pieces for the very first time, and each seemingly shouted out ‘listen to me, really listen to me’!
What does one look for in a live music concert? There are likely numerous answers, but it is surely not to hear something performed the exact same way it has always sounded: predictability can be mind numbing, but extreme novelty can be aggravating. There’s a middle way in there somewhere, and Wigglesworth and Hough both found it, and their collaboration, mutual respect, and artistry was quite remarkable.
They have collaborated on previous occasions, both live and recorded, and performed concertos by Brahms, Rachmaninov, and recently Hough’s own piano concerto (which will feature in the fourth and final concert of the current Brahms Symphonies series).
Their previous collaborations have produced richly detailed and stimulating interpretations, with fresh and heartfelt insights, and tonight’s Grieg has added to that achievement. Hough performed with muscularity and careful use of the sustaining pedal, and the first movement cadenza was astonishing in its musicality. The audience burst into spontaneous applause when the movement ended, and Hough’s eyes slightly widened as he acknowledged the great joy he’d created. The second movement felt pacy and Hough embodied a free spirit at the keyboard as he wrested every distinctive rhythm and crafted new meaning into every carefully articulated phrase. This was a mere prelude to the final third movement and Hough and Wigglesworth’s body language enhanced the dance-like structures that pervade it. They lived the music – they were both lyrical and impactful.
The program began with the Blue Danube waltz, which has been heard countless times before by countless people, but it too sounded fresh. The bowing from the double basses was imposing, and the woodwinds were almost seraphic. Wigglesworth toyed with rubato, and every member of the ASO hung on every one of his beats. He smiled at them, encouraging them to enjoy the majesty of the moment, and they smiled back at him.
Brahms’ third symphony is a masterpiece and is well known for the bucolic melodies in the poco allegretto third movement. Wigglesworth took the symphony at an almost stately pace, with occasional bursts of pace and dynamism where needed. Throughout the woodwinds, horns, and brass were superlative, especially the clarinets and flutes. Kate Suthers again demonstrated why she is such a respected concertmaster.
This concert has been a real eye opener. The ASO, conductor Mark Wigglesworth and pianist Sir Stephen Hough provided transformed experiences of classical masterpieces! Bring on the next concert in the series!
Kym Clayton
When: 28 May
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Town Hall. 24 May 2025
The second concert in the ASO’s Brahms Symphonies series included Wagner’s Prelude to Act 1 of Lohengrin, Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No 1 in G minor, Op.25, and Brahms’ Symphony No.2 in D, Op.73.
Again, Mark Wigglesworth led the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Sir Stephen Hough performed the concerto.
In the first concert there was a clear connection between the works on the program, but the connections in the second concert are a little more abstract: Wagner was suspicious of Mendelssohn (and Brahms to an extent) who in turn was lauded by Schumann who thought that Brahms was going to be the next big thing after Beethoven who was also revered by Wagner. The connections don’t really matter to the typical member of the audience: all they want is to be entertained with iconic music, and that is exactly what they got.
Wigglesworth showed his flexibility and broad experience throughout the program. From the carefully controlled dynamics of the Prelude to Lohengrin, with its exquisitely controlled long crescendos and decrescendos, through to the beautifully articulated dialogues between piano and orchestra in the Mendelssohn, to the exchanges between the woodwinds and strings in the Brahms, Wigglesworth demonstrated his command of it all.
Hough was again precise at the piano, but the romanticism of the concerto was never stifled. The three-way communication between Hough, Wigglesworth, and concertmaster Kate Suthers was a highlight.
The reading of the Brahms was ‘standard’ and Wigglesworth controlled the exacting dynamics. No instrument was given anything approaching a free rein, although the bowing of the principal viola was something to admire; passionate and exuberant. The audience enjoyed the first movement of the symphony so much that they broke into spontaneous applause when it ended. The orchestra took this in their stride and an unleashed almost plangent woodwinds in the second movement, gracious strings in the third and a spirited tutti in the final movement.
At the end Wigglesworth asked the woodwinds to take the first bow, followed by the horns, and then the brass before a full bow. Throughout, the audience clapped and cheered, and wolf whistled. They were indeed entertained with excellent performances of iconic music by an orchestra of which Adelaide can be rightly proud.
Kym Clayton
When: 24 May
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Town Hall. 21 May 2025
Haydn taught Beethoven, but Beethoven declared Haydn taught him nothing, and Brahms was hesitant to write symphonies because he could not escape comparisons with Beethoven and felt he heard “… such a giant [Beethoven] marching behind him all the time.” So, it makes sense, in a mischievous sort of way, to juxtapose Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms on the same program, and that is exactly what the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra has done in the first concert in its Brahms: The Symphonies series.
Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth led the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in what was a finely balanced performance across three diverse works: Haydn’s Symphony No.1 in D; Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano No.3 in C minor, Op.37; and Brahms’ Symphony No.1 (also) in C minor, Op.68. A feature of Wigglesworth’s conducting was a clearly established dynamic plan for each work, so that the distinction of loud and soft segments within and across movements made for contrasts that made sense and enhanced enjoyment right to the very end. Wigglesworth is a conductor who doesn’t get in the way of the orchestra: he allows the innate musicality of every player and instrumental section to shine through within the broad parameters he sets. One gets the sense that every musician is not on automatic pilot when he is at the podium and that they are discovering freshness in the work every time.
Haydn’s first symphony is a relatively youthful composition and is scored for a small orchestra. It comes in at around 10-11 minutes, but it doesn’t feel as brief as that. The sweet melodies and their development within each of the three movements are not entirely predictable and as a result the passing of time feels a little slower.
The same can be said of the Beethoven piano concerto, in which there are surprises in each of the three movements. Sir Stephen Hough performed the concerto with both precision and passion. Elegantly dressed in a midnight blue Nehru collared suit and shiny black patent leather shoes, Hough looked imposing and in full control at the Steinway concert grand. There is an air of the aristocratic about him, and he is all class. His style is devoid of unnecessary gesticulation and mannerism – there is simply a poised and studied look about him as he produces the most astonishingly articulated sounds from the instrument. At the start he sits sideways looking intently at Wigglesworth’s every move until the piano enters some minutes later – their collaboration is set in motion. The cadenza at the end of the first movement is quite special, performed with absolute clarity and balance. The second movement continues the focus on the piano, and Hough immediately stamps his interpretation on the sumptuous largo. Throughout there are gentle moments of dazzlingly clear dialogue between the piano and the orchestra, especially with the woodwinds, and it all gets spiced up in the final rondo movement when the rhythms become more exacting and seemingly jazz infused. At the end, the audience’s applause is emphatic, replete with stamping of feet and whistling, and Hough and Wigglesworth embrace in appreciation of each other. Hough was presented with the customary sumptuous bouquet of Tynte flowers, and he graciously gifted them to a lucky lady sitting in the front row. Nice touch Sir Stephen!
After the interval, Wigglesworth led the ASO in a robust performance of Brahms’ first symphony. It is around forty-five minutes in duration, and it is a muscular piece. The orchestra started with two doubles basses and four celli for the Haydn, which then expanded to four and six for the Beethoven, and then to six and eight for the Brahms, with the addition of various other instruments. The Brahms requires heft, and the ASO were up for the challenge. It begins with urgency and exclamation, as if Brahms is announcing to the world that he is indeed a symphonist and he has something to say, despite Beethoven looking over his shoulder! Scored in four movements, the composition is overflowing with melodies, and none so more than in the final movement with the iconic and languid horn line that once heard is never forgotten. It’s the stuff of earworms! This soon gives way to responses from the woodwinds, which were exquisite throughout the concert, and then from the violins. Concertmaster Kate Suthers again wowed the audience with some sensitive and beautiful playing, and the double basses worked overtime and gave the whole piece the momentum and drive it demands.
This is the first of four concerts in the series, and it seems we are in for a thrilling musical roller coaster of a ride. Superb programming, superb artists.
Kym Clayton
When: 21 May
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
Elder Hall. Selby & Friends. 18 May 2025
Kristian Winther, violin, and Clancy Newman, cello, join Kathryn Selby, piano, in a bravura performance of three starkly different piano trios that has the audience in a collective and sustained state of excitement from beginning to end. The program title This Mirror Has Three Faces takes its name from Lera Auerbach’s Piano Trio No.2, which opens the concert, and is followed by Robert Schumann’s Piano Trio No.3 in G minor, Op.110, and Bedrich Smetana’s Op.15 trio written in the same key.
At the beginning of the concert, as the musicians take their seats and get ready, Winther casts his eyes around the vast Elder Hall auditorium and seemingly takes in every single member of the audience with an almost mocking gaze as if to say ‘you have been warned’! In hindsight, this would have been good advice – the concert is a roller coaster!
Soviet-born Austrian-American composer Lera Auerbach’s piano trio is a five-section work composed in 2011 that comes across as being in three movements, and it is an all-out assault on everything we know about the ‘classic’ piano trio (such as the Schumann and Smetana trios that follow). Auerbach has described her own music as always containing something that is “wrong”. The trio begins with crashing chords on the piano, that are sustained “wrongness”, but it settles quickly into a finely balanced but sparse conversation between the three instruments. Winther produces the softest of sounds almost without beginnings or ends, and the cello follows suit. Just as we think that “wrongness” is behind us, the second section ushers in declarative passion with voices speaking over and through each other. It’s exciting, and Selby is ever watchful of the strings to ensure that she clearly and emphatically finishes the dialogue when needed. There is much spiccato and slapping of strings in the waltz section with the essential rhythm and melody conveyed by the piano. The three-way dialogue is expertly driven and managed by Selby. The fourth section has frequent moments of silence that create a false impression that the section is concluded, and seeing it performed rather than just hearing it adds to the sense of anticipation. The final section is the most lyrical and is a perfect segue into Schumann’s trio.
Winther addresses the audience and talks about the genesis of the Schumann trio, which is scored in four movements, and observes that it was composed in 1851, was a bit of an outlier in the context of Schumann’s other compositions around the same time, and was written at a time when Schumann’s health and well-being was in decline.
Winther proceeded to wear the most emphatic and studied look on his face as the Schumann got under way, perhaps continuing to think about what he has just explained to the audience. His expressive face telegraphs the drama the of the music. Newman watches Winther intently ensuring the dialogue between violin and cello is razor sharp, and it is immensely enjoyable to watch and hear. The second movement is marked by punctuated rhythms with an abundance of staccato from all instruments, and the synchronisation between them is impressively precise. This gives way to the third movement which is introspective but bright, and the fourth amplifies this with numerous declamatory points throughout the light and repeated motif. The audience loves it!
As enjoyable as the Auerbach and Schumann are, the performance of the Smetana trio is a highlight. Selby speaks about the composition and observes that Smetana was a bit of a musical rebel and refused to be consumed by the dominant Germanic ways of doing things! He is considered to be a founding father of nationalism in Czech music. Selby explains that the trio was written at a time of extreme grief in Smetana’s life coinciding with the death of his child, and as such the composition is evocative of both sad and happy memories. There are sections that are incredibly sweet and tender and brimming with love and affection, and these are contrasted with music that evokes feelings of deep grief and abject sadness. It opens enigmatically on violin, and Winther imbues the musical phrases with an eeriness. The cello joins in and immediately puts us at ease with a beautiful theme sweetly played by Newman. The violin and piano join in and Selby expertly links the musical ideas together with deft touch at the keyboard. With the flick of her wrist Selby changes the mood with finely executed passage work from sweetness to suffering. The second movement restates the closing thematic material from the first, but it is more furtive and playful, which is reflected on the faces of the trio as they glance at each other and shift in their seats. It’s fun to watch – almost a game of musical cat and mouse – but it settles and morphs into sunny melodies that gradually give way to grander themes that seem to be pregnant with meaning. It’s written on Winther’s face. The third and final movement is what the audience has been waiting for. We’ve all heard it before, somewhere, even if we don’t remember where it comes from. It begins with speed and Selby sets the character immediately. Her articulation and dynamics are exquisite, and Newman and Winther are swept up in the dialogue and punctuate it with some well controlled pizzicato as it races to the bittersweet conclusion of the celebration of a life.
The applause from the audience is exuberant and generous, but it is richly deserved. This time Newland and Selby scan the audience taking them all in, and Winther smiles contently.
Kym Clayton
When: 18 May
Where: Elder Hall
Bookings: Closed