Always innovative and passionate with its annual programs, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra’s alluring program title suggested works to warm our wintry Victorian nights. Rhapsodic music expressing powerful emotion, enthusiasm and extravagance combined with a Bohemian freedom of musical structure, conventional rules and practices, shown tonight in the works of Czech composers Antonin Dvorak and Jindrich Feld, seemed a most attractive offering. Since 1990, MCO has been a Key partner at the MRC, boasts a distinguished core of outstanding Melbourne string players, and is an ensemble admired for its innovative and distinctive programs.
In her welcoming address Guest Director and 1st violinist Alexandra Osborne warmly thanked the audience for braving the outdoors elements to share ongoing support and commitment to live music, as artists are still facing huge Covid challenges.
From his original set of six pieces From the Bohemian Forest Op 68, composedas a piano duet in 1883, Dvorak arranged the 5th most enchanting sketch, Silent Woods, for cello and orchestra in 1894. Australian composer Jessica Wells arranged tonight’s MCO’s score for string orchestra, with Elina Faskhi taking centre-stage as the soloist for this beautiful and evocative piece. Adagio, lento e molto cantabile begins with a brooding pianissimo cello solo with a long beautifully shaped descending, languorous melodic phrase over sustained violas and light pizzicato bass accompaniment. Fashki is an authoritative and passionate soloist, who drew us into a brooding, stirring and dreamy atmosphere with her expressive sound. Unfortunately, the program notes did not include a description of Faskhi’s stellar international career to date as she is making a big contribution to recent performances of cello masterpieces and contemporary music. It would be wonderful to hear her perform this rarely performed work with Dvorak’s original, more spacious texture and instrumentation with woodwind and brass.
Prudence Davis was welcomed to the stage as soloist for Feld’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra. Written in 1954, this intensely dramatic three movement work required additional instruments, with piano, harp, timpani and percussion reinforcements adding excitement to the production, and challenges no doubt for this enlarged ensemble without a central conductor. It is significant that the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra commissioned Australian composer Ian Munro to write and dedicate his Flute Concerto to Davis, so her total mastery and execution of another challenging contemporary work was to be expected. A wildly dramatic introduction brought us forceful, sharp strokes from piano and percussion, the flute following with free improvisatory cadenza-like phrases, all increasing in momentum as continuous whirling phrases took us on an exciting ride. Colour and lyricism came with flute and harp pairings, but the string power and dramatic surges of high tone was relentless. Highly stirring was the threatening and war-like 2nd movement Largo, where continuous timpani blows evoked heavy marching pulse beats, fear and foreboding. The final movement highlighted Davis’ virtuosic technical ability and musical communication. Unison celli and double basses added powerful depth to the score, and this challenging piece continued a journey of rising and falling waves of drama and tension until Davis led the ensemble to a heroic close, with excited scurrying trills and high-pitched brightness.
After interval, the MCO brought us again to the feisty sound of a string orchestra continuing its Bohemian journey, transforming Dvorak’s Quintet No 2 in G major Op 77 into a more dense and lush texture. This ensemble produced a very warm and robust sound, with tempos being carefully modest until building steadily and relentlessly to more powerful closing bars. Mostly, there was careful attention to playing out the dialogue of themes between varying instruments, also being true to Dvorak’s characteristic duality of lyricism and drama in accented lively dance sections. Upper strings produced a strong, broad tone in the upper register, sometimes sweeping to the heights of the top string with much muscle and dominance. In the 3rd movement (Poco Andante) it was pleasing to hear calmer, sweeter high strings allowing cello and viola melodies to shine. A broader dynamic palette and a feeling of serenity and calm was most welcome in the softer tones of this movement.
An Allegro Assai final movement was full of robust energy, spirit and forward drive, technical unity and a greater variety of timbres and textures as excitement built steadily to the final notes. The MCO here produced a large symphonic string sound, innovative, perhaps Bohemian too, transforming Dvorak’s original score for Quintet into a new experience. While audiences do love “familiarity” at times, it will be interesting to see how new arrangements of works of the major celebrated composers through history are taken into audiences’ hearts.
Photo supplied.
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Julie McErlain reviewed “Rhapsodic Bohemians” performed by the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on June 16, 2022.
