Image via www.australianhaydn.com.au
The elegant Australian Haydn Ensemble performed in difficult circumstances on Saturday night in the Utzon Room of the Sydney Opera House, owing to the unfortunate indisposition of its lead violinist and artistic director Skye McIntosh. At the start of a five-concert tour, the program had to be readjusted with Simone Slattery standing in for McIntosh and Rafael Font-Viera invited as guest violinist. The program was shortened – a string quartet (Schubert’s Rosamunde) was cancelled – and rearranged to comprise arrangements of Schubert Lieder sung by David Greco along with four items from Félicien David’s comparatively decorative though not very significant Les Quatre Saisons. As presented, the impetus of the program seemed to place the David quintets first in priority, obliging the ensemble to commission from Vi King-Lim the Schubert Lieder accompanied by string quintet instead of piano. Doubtless the program would have been strengthened and more logical with the inclusion of the Quartet.
There was, however, much to admire in these arrangements that worked particularly well in the denser material and especially Der Leiermann (the Hurdy-Gurdy Man) from the curiously excerpted bracket of three songs from Winterreise, where the strings evocatively imitate the drone of the organ grinder’s instrument. But it was the conclusions of several Lieder that tended to linger unnecessarily as the musicians savoured their material, the overly slow pace of others and particularly the lack of shading, transparency and rhetorical subtlety that had me yearning for the original piano accompaniment. Noteworthy was the ensemble’s fine rapport throughout under the subtle and expressive playing of Slattery, particularly given the less than ideal circumstances, with praise due to Rafael Font-Viera for standing in at precious little notice.
David Greco has a baritone of distinction that is perfectly suited to Schubert Lieder. His rhetorical skills are second to none as is his German pronunciation and understanding of text. It was a joy to hear the ‘real thing’ in this treasured artform and great news that he has returned to Australia with a swag of European experience behind him to take up his career as a soloist.
The capacity audience was rewarded with the encore An die Musik. However, the omnipresent resonance of the double bass imparted a regrettably leaden tone.
3 stars: ★★★
Australian Haydn Ensemble – Schubert Songs
David Greco, baritone
Simone Slattery, violin
Rafael Font-Viera, violin
James Eccles, viola
James Bush, cello
Jacqueline Dosser, double bass
The Utzon Room
Sydney Opera House
Saturday, 11 August, 2018
7pm
