Sato and the Romantics

Shunske Sato and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra in scintillating harmony. Photograph via Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.

The night, without question, belonged to the violins which delivered a program of Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 3 in E Minor, Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Op. 40 and Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D. Minor, designed by the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s Artistic Director and Conductor, Paul Dyer AO, to showcase their skills in a variety of ways and they did so, with palpable enthusiasm and cohesion.

Dyer, founder of the orchestra in 1990, was almost bursting with pride, not only for his youthful protégés, but also for his youthful Guest Director and Violinist, Shunske Sato, for it seemed that youth was in full bloom on this delightful evening and mouths were left gaping. Sato, who left his birthplace, Japan, to live in the United States at the age of three, gave his first solo performance at the age of 12, nearly 200 years after Mendelssohn, also a gifted 12-year-old, composed this magnificent String Symphony. Since then, Sato’s awards are world-renowned and, in 2013, at only 29 years old, he was appointed concertmaster of the Netherlands Bach Society Orchestra where he plans to record every one of Bach’s 1080 works.

As with Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, it is a special treat to see such a multi-talented young man, put aside his baroque violin in order to lead the orchestra. The String Symphony, was a perfect introduction for Sato in these two roles, enabling him to draw on his knowledge of the piece and take the orchestra’s violinists through the composition’s various changes of pace yet enabling him to join them as First Violin, when needed. Grieg’s Holberg Suite, by contrast, was more gentle and ephemeral, bringing a lighter side of violin expertise to the fore.

But, is there an answer to this question from several audience members – ‘why aren’t there seats behind the orchestra, as in Hamer hall, so that we can better see the conductor in action?’

Certainly the back view was an impeccable black ensemble but it was a pleasure to see the front view, a conductor/solo violinist in a superbly tailored yet modern outfit with a touch of red on the collar and black patent leather shoes shining like his shoulder length black hair. Sato’s almost benign, slightly smiling expression, gave us no hint of the turbulence that was to follow, from leading the violins and cellos in playful left-hand finger plucking and staccato movements to the use of the bow to produce, on gut strings, a gently increasing sweet sound like a bird tweeting. Yes, the piccolos and clarinets, oboes, trombones and trumpets performed with honour when it was their turn but perhaps Paganini’s comment, in this particular piece, that the orchestra was only there to ‘fill in gaps’ so that he could draw breath had some foundation. Sato’s execution of this extremely difficult piece almost made you feel he was Paganini incarnate, except that, when he finally came to the end of it with a massive flourish, he smiled and then hugged Dyer, something Paganini probably never would have done.

The beautiful violin will return to its case and this amazing young violinist hopes to bring it out again and again to help people understand the genius of the misunderstood Paganini.

A standing ovation and much stamping of feet followed. One distinguished, elderly gentleman commented –’That’s the first time I’ve seen people rise to their feet in this magnificent hall!’

The audience wouldn’t let him go. ‘Would it be appropriate to play Bach?’ as an encore, this humble young man asked the Brandenburg Artistic Director, who replied:

‘Schunske, Melbourne and the Brandenburg love you, so go ahead!’ and Dyer then sat on the edge of the stage, listening, with a benign expression of joy on his face.

For anybody who missed this extraordinary performance, do grab a second chance with both hands if you can make a short trip to Sydney where Sato will be playing till 17  September next.