Image via www.australianhaydn.com.au
Formed in 2011, the Australian Haydn Ensemble comprises a flexible group of young Sydney-based musicians who are enthusiastically committed to performing late-Baroque and Classical music in a historically informed manner. Their marketing demonstrates a powerful enthusiasm and eagerness to succeed: Classical elegance and refinement prevails. Mentored by the ensemble Ironwood and others, the ensemble deserves encouragement as it ventures into larger repertoire, Haydn Symphonies and Beethoven Concerti, in its coming Season. The ensemble admirably explores lesser-known repertoire as well. On this occasion we heard a bijou by Haydn’s brother, Michael and a curious quartet by Spanish composer, Manuel Canales (published in 1778), alongside Haydn’s Op 17 No 1.
So I regret I must write this negative review, for their debut appearance for the Melbourne Festival on Wednesday night was not a high achievement. The string quartet formed from the ensemble and led by its artistic director was ‘green’ in the genre, had tuning problems throughout, obvious weaknesses in technique, had trouble setting tempi at the start of each movement and demonstrated an uninteresting sense of interpretation and rhetoric. Repeats were repeated identically, while Haydn’s Op 17 No 1 Quartet, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, absolutely brimming with intelligence, subtlety and humour was delivered in a manner which was, I’m afraid, as dull as ditchwater.
I only hope we will hear this ensemble in Melbourne again in better form. As previously mentioned, it deserves all encouragement.
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Australian Haydn Ensemble
Skye McIntosh, violin
Matthew Greco, violin
James Eccles, viola
Anton Baba, cello
Presented by the Melbourne Festival
Collins Street Baptist Church
Quartets at Sunset
Haydn for Everyone Series
Project conceived by Richard Tognetti, AO
2015 program curated by Marshall McGuire
Melbourne Festival
www.festival.melbourne
8-25 October 2015
