Category Archives: Concert Reviews

Be it orchestral, chamber or something totally different, I try to write a review of every concert I go to. Sometimes they’re written in a spare five minutes, at others they become musings on bigger musical ideas.

The Barber of Seville – Opera Australia

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Possibly the best-known of Rossini’s operas, The Barber of Seville is nothing if not tongue in cheek. Luckily, for the opening night of Opera Australia’s season on the April 30th, it was clear that in this respect all were speaking exactly the same language.

The delightful leading cast eagerly embracing the eccentric personalities of their characters, with the male leads particularly impressive. Every time Jose Carbo took the stage as Figaro, his swagger, cheek and sheer enjoyment of the role lifted the already high energy levels. His and Count Almaviva’s (John Longmuir) duet in the opening scene was a highlight, as were Dr. Bartolo’s (Andrew Moran) constant imitations of the voice and gesture of other characters. While Rosina’s (Sian Pendry) two solo arias sounded somewhat breathy, her voice rang out wonderfully in duets and trios, and her fandango dancing was a show-stealer.

Another clear star of the production was the set, employing puppetry and false perspective to great effect in the opening scene. Dr. Bartolo’s house, the centre of the action for the remainder of the narrative, was decked out in the colourful style of the 1930s, and provided enough doors, rooms and confined spaces to emphasise the sheer absurdity of cramming the cast into them!

Mention must also be made of the excellent chorus, some of whom had the audience in fits of laughter as Dr. Bartolo’s comic patients. While the closing chorus of Act 1 needs a little tidying up rhythmically, the overall effect was polished and guaranteed to tickle the humours of the audience.

Get in quickly, this year’s Barber of Seville deserves to be a full house every night!

Emperor Concerto – Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

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Friday 20th April

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Piano/Director: Olli Mustonen

It’s one thing (and by far taxing enough) to play two Beethoven piano concertos over the course of a single concert. Then add directing from the piano, and having one’s own work for symphony orchestra played in between, and you have Finnish renaissance man Olli Mustonen.

Far less well-known than its Emperor cousin, Beeethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is nevertheless a gem. Mustonen approached it with enthusiasm and zeal, leaping out of the piano stool at every opportunity to drive the orchestra on. That said, it was certainly when seated that the best magic was woven, with the daring, ever so flirtatious cadenza to the first movement being particularly impressive. The orchestra were not afraid to feel the pesante weight of the rondo as the piano danced brilliantly over the top.

Mustonen’s own piece – Jehkin Iivana – was given its Australian premiere with no less enthusiasm. Drawing on Finnish history and folklore, the music wove together fragments of kantele song ( a plucked string instrument using modal tuning, here reproduced by the flutes), church hymn-like melodies, and soundscape sections reminiscent of Finland’s winter wilderness. Despite its atonality, the work’s lilting melodies and constantly shifting texture invited the ear with its contemplative expanse.

In his return to the piano stool, Mustonen confirmed that it is here that his talent and musicality are at their best. The sparkling slow movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, soaring over the already mesmerised audience,  was without a doubt highlight of the evening.

Jupiter – Melbourne Chamber Orchestra

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Thursday 29th March

Melbourne Chamber Orchestra – Director: William Hennessy

Three cheers for the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra! It takes something special to make the well-worn favourites glitter once again and this group, with their program of Mozart and Beethoven, was out to do just that.

Beethoven’s Triple Concerto is certainly something of an odd beast, demanding a chamber music feel from both the soloists and the orchestra. It has very much become the domain of established piano trios, and while violinist Katherine Lukey, cellist Michelle Wood and pianist Timothy Young each did an admirable job of their own part, chamber-style interaction was noticeably absent. The three lined themselves up along the front of the orchestra in an arrangement that suggested each would be competing with the others for dominant solo position. It must be said that each gave a solid soloist’s performance; Lukey’s ascending lines and Wood’s melodic arcs in the first movement were executed with flourish and keen attention to style. Though there was certainly give and take of lines – particularly through Wood and Young’s discursive interjections in the third movement – the orchestra’s joy and ease of moving as rarely flowed through to the soloists.

After the interval, however, Mozart’s Jupiter symphony was a showcase of exactly what the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra does best. As has become the norm, the group played standing, with director William Hennessy leading through gesture and sheer musical willpower. The resulting interpretation was fresh and utterly engaging, with attention to detail and seemingly effortless balance between the winds and strings. Rather than rushing through the third and fourth movements, the orchestra sat on the tempo just enough to let the intricacies of Mozart’s writing sparkle and dance.

If you’re particularly quick, the MCO is presenting this program again at 2:30 this afternoon (April 1st), once again in the Melbourne Recital Centre.

Flute and Harp recital

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Visiting Austrian flautist Karin Leitner teamed up with local harpist Jacinta Dennett for the Melba Hall free lunch hour concert this week. Leitner chose an all-20th century program that showcased the variety of music for the flute in an era that many audience still seem to shy away from.

Opening with Jacques Ibert’s Entr’ace and Morocco: A Nocturne for Flute by Caesar Giovanni, the duo set a relaxed and meditative atmosphere. Though unusual in their harmonic language, both works tend to steer clear of virtuoso extended techniques, a theme that Leitner seemed keen to carry through her recital. Her still-unusual choice of a wooden flute with modern keywork gave her a great variety of tone colour, especially in the softer dynamics, which blended excellently with the harp.

The Suite for Flute Solo by Egon Wellesz, however, could have packed a bigger punch. All three movements made extensive use of the mellow wooden tone (which Leitner does do wonderfully), but somewhat at the expense of a stronger sound which could have been employed to great effect in the allegretto particularly. Such a tone was, however, put to perfect use in Australian Colin Brumby’s Four Exotic Pieces. Both performers showed a keen understanding of the piece’s musical landscape, although Dennett’s harp lines did occasionally feel a little more forward in the texture than they needed to.

Finally, Leitner teamed up with guitarist Dan McKay for a rendition of Astor Piazzolla’s ever-popular Histoire du Tango. Here, Leitner seemed to spring into a totally different gear, showing that the wooden flute is indeed capable of the loud, the powerful and the downright sexy. Totally at home in Piazzolla’s music, the duo’s sparkle and drive was utterly engaging.