Perth Chamber Orchestra was launched only a few months ago under the auspices of the Perth Symphony Orchestra, and already the cognoscenti are comparing it to some of the world’s best ensembles. Within minutes of the start of this concert, I could see why.
For a start, North Street Music and the Perth Symphony Orchestra have managed to attract many of the city’s best players, including the indefatigable Professor Paul Wright as principal violinist and Music Director for this performance. And this concert was hosted by musician, actor and artist Justin Burford (best known as frontman of band End of Fashion) surely one of the country’s best all-round performers.
North Street Music has found excellent sponsorship, and has also formed partnerships with food merchants Comestibles and vintners Barton Jones, so the full house (a rough head count rendered a total of about 300) in Perth’s lovely old Wesley Church was greeted with hors d’oeuvres and red wine before the main business of the evening got underway.
Although the program also featured some of Vivaldi’s contemporaries, Vivaldi was the undoubted drawcard, and Justin Burford began by giving us the background to the maestro’s music. For almost his whole working life, Vivaldi (1678-1741) taught at the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned children in Venice. The Ospedale boasted an all-female music ensemble which employed most of the girls who grew up there. Some of them left the institution to marry well: others spent their entire lives as musicians. Burford made a dramatic story of it (I’d love to hear him read Dickens!) skilfully preparing us for the first bracket: Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins in B minor (RV 580) followed by Marini’s ‘Echo Sonata’, a delicate piece of work for three violins and cello continuo. The orchestra proved itself to be well-drilled in both playing and presentation. Throughout the evening, their entrances, exits and reverences were all neatly choreographed and executed, important in the relatively small space of the church’s sanctuary.
In the first interval, the main course of pork sausage, polenta and cabbage was served with another red wine. Unfortunately, it was bit late coming, so people were still being served as the second set began. Paul Wright gave a stunning performance of Biber’s Passacaglia for solo violin. His amazing double-stopping sounded like a duet! However, there was some restlessness in the house as food continued to be served. There is nothing worse for a performer than to have to compete with food, and we don’t expect that to happen in a rendition of classical music within the confines of a church.
The second item in this set was Vivaldi’s Il Sovvente which is almost a duet for soprano and violin. It was beautifully performed by a reduced ensemble featuring Paul Wright and Sabra Poole-Johnson. The latter’s pure, clear tones, at times approaching those of a boy soprano or even a castrato, are ideally suited to works of the Baroque period. Sadly, the acoustics of the church did not always do her voice justice and sometimes it got a little bit lost.
Another interval, during which a delicious dessert of cannoli and white wine was served, led us to the final set: Vivaldi’s Concerto for Strings in D Major (RV 121) and Corelli’s Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No 4 in D major. I should point out here that the entire concert was unconducted, as it would have been in Vivaldi’s time, and thus required teamwork of a high order. This bracket was the highlight of the evening, and must have cost hours of rehearsal time. In the first movement of the Vivaldi, changes of volume at high tempo were cleanly handled. Every eye in the ensemble was on Wright, who set the pace and volume without moving a finger from his instrument. Likewise the second movement, which features caesurae by the dozen, again demanded complete concentration as the players watched Wright for the slight movement that meant the bow was about to hit the strings. It was wonderful to watch. This collaborative quality continued with the Corelli offering, and the players were justly rewarded with lengthy and enthusiastic applause with many enthusiasts on their feet and cheering.
Of course, there can be no Vivaldi without The Four Seasons, so the encore was the ‘Summer Storms’ segment from that popular opus. It sent us out into the night with tapping feet and smiling faces. Thank you, PCO!
Watch out for the next concert: Beethoven, Beer and Bratwurst at the B-shed on Tuesday 10 December.
Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5
St George Bank presents
As part of Perth Chamber Orchestra’s Heritage Series:
Vivaldi by Candlelight
Musical Director: Paul Wright
Artistic Directors: Jessica Gethin and Bourby Webster
Featuring: Lucas O’Brien, Christina Katsimbardis, Erin Chen, Sarah Duhig, Stewart Smith, Sophie Curtis, Sabra Poole-Johnson and Justin Burford
Wesley Church, Perth
24 September
Image: Antonio Vivaldi
