Let us take a moment, dear reader, to peruse our program for the evening, particularly the notes to the first piece, Wagner’s ‘Siegfried Idyll’. ‘On Christmas morning 1870 a group of musicians gathered on the stairs inside the Wagners’ Swiss villa at Tribschen to begin the first performance of this tender musical offering, which, as intended, stirred Cosima Wagner – Liszt’s daughter and now Wagner’s wife – from sleep.’
Ironically, the music had precisely the opposite effect on the woman next to me, seducing her back to the Land of Nod (as well as the Land of Snores, it must be noted, although her husband tried valiantly to prod her awake, which stopped the snoring, at least). This, it should be noted, was no reflection on the playing of the piece itself – in this hugely collaborative concert by the Sydney Omega Ensemble at the City Recital Hall. It may have been a bit tremulous at the start and in its quieter moments – a bit more tremulous than this critic would have liked – but like much good Wagner it swelled to the occasion and filled the Hall – much as it must have filled Cosima’s bedroom – with a sound that satisfied the greedy ear. So much of music is about balancing the quiet with the loud, the slow with the fast, and this performance was a tad weighted to the latter, with slight damage to the former.
French conductor Paul Meyer was just one of the big names that the Sydney Omega Ensemble – now the Ensemble in Residence at the City Recital Hall – had got in for this latest concert. Also on the menu was star cellist from the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Timo-Veikko Valve, along with clarinetist and artistic director of the Australian National Academy of Music, Paul Dean, and his merry band of students to help fill out the numbers on stage. (Twenty musicians in all were present.) This was one of the few times, it should be noted, when one got a full sense of just how lovely the acoustics are at the venue, with the sound taking over the space extremely well.
Schoenberg’s ‘Chamber Symphony No. 1 in E major, Op.9’ came next, managing to keep my neighbour awake. The program tells us that it shocked its audience at the world premiere, with ‘a number of people noisily leaving the concert in protest’. Mahler, there at the premiere, and realising its significance, apparently rose ‘for applause that he maintained until everyone had left the hall’. There was a palpable energy to this evening’s performance and it was well worth the listen.
After the interval came Hindemith’s ‘Kammermusik No. 3, Op. 36, No. 2 “Cello Concerto”’ with Valve as soloist. For the most part, the piece had a glorious restlessness to it, except in the third and slower movement – the ‘heart of the work’ – where the cellist is instructed not to indulge in heavy use of vibrato and rubato. Valve, however, still managed much lyricism for such restraint, and was impressive – as was to be expected.
The night ended with Adams’ ‘Chamber Symphony’ – the best of the night. Special mention should be given to lead violinist Andrew Haveron (now a co-concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony), who gave a solo bursting with frenetic passion out of seemingly nowhere; it was attention-grabbing to say the least, and all the more welcome for it. The programming itself should also be mentioned – with a much more nicely balanced concert than have been previously with some of Omega’s programs, and the concert was improved because of it. As an antidote to the Sydney Symphony’s Classical and Spectacular the previous night; as a respite to the Vivid crowds outside; and as just plain good music, this concert succeeded nicely. Certainly one to stay awake for.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Omega Ensemble and Australian National Academy of Music
