Taking the theme of Forbidden Love for this Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Springtime concert program was an alluring way to fill Hamer Hall with lovers of the most celebrated and romantic expressions in music, poetry, and legend of human relationships. This was a well-designed program, where each consecutive work grew in orchestral aspiration, colour, grandeur and emotion. I am sure it was no co-incidence that the most charismatic and charming guest conductor was a Frenchman, Fabien Gabel, who took us on a romantic journey where Debussy’s sensuous impressionism was just the gentle and dreamy beginning.
Debussy was tempted only once to write an opera, Pelléas and Mélisande, an illusory poetic tale and an unusual work for the theatre. From the opera, the intimate Orchestral Suite felt a little light as an opener in the large Hamer Hall, but sensitively conveyed sweetness, wistfulness, the longing for tenderness and joy, and the silences and sensuality of human desire. With a concert performance like this we could live in the musical moment, blissfully ignoring thoughts of how the story would end. With a full orchestra almost overflowing the stage, and the violas unusually close to the front of stage almost behind the conductor, the strings first established an introspective and intimate airy atmosphere, where a fine penetrating clarinet solo drew our attention to the anticipation of love and desire. As brass and percussion added some joyful power and grandeur, we still felt the anticipation of the unknown, the anguish of Fate, the end of dreams. As we imbibed Debussy’s fragile fine colours Gabel elicited the most fluent tones and pianissimos from this orchestra.
Feminine beauty and artistry was central to the second work. Much warmth and joy flowed from the vibrant pianist Alexandra Dariescu, whose spirit shone in an exuberant performance of Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor. How ambiguous is the reference “forbidden love”, alluding not only to the despair of composer Johanes Brahms, who professed his long love for Clara, but also to Clara’s own desire to continue her brilliant career as a pianist and composer – also seen as “forbidden” by society and marriage.
Orchestral sections were reduced to classical proportions to accommodate the concert grand and support this glamorous pianist, dressed in elegant shimmering gold. Written by Clara as a young girl, the form of this concerto is unusual, with introductory lyrical themes and classical rhythms hinting at a buoyant and cheerful Mozartian marching style. There was a lightness of texture, high silvery percussive tones on this piano, fluid and sparkling climaxes, delightful ornamented scales and runs, and a seductive feminine appeal in the melodic tenderness of solo piano sections. In the Romanze: Andante, a very romantic partnership developed when principal cellist David Berlin joined Dariescu’s solo for a very beautiful duo – a “song without words” that ended with a rather symbolic timpani roll, leaving an extended piano finale to develop with purposeful crescendos to a more technically brilliant close. And how well did this soloist exude a love of playing, personality and flair in this high-spirited Finale.
It was nice to see an old-fashioned tradition allowed, as a lady carried flowers from the audience to the soloist, which were warmly received and acknowledged. Dariescu spoke cheerfully with the audience, acknowledged Berlin for his cello solo, and gave us the shortest and fastest encore of all time: O Polichinelo (The Punch) by Villa-Lobos.
Cellos were again to feature after interval, as Gabel expanded the orchestra’s sound palette in a sensuous and dramatic performance of the Prelude and Liebestod from Wagner’s love epic, Tristan and Isolde. A full sized orchestra returned to the stage, with the most famous “yearning” motifs building with an intensity of passion and desire through many magical moments of powerful strings, golden brass and foreboding timpani, solo bass clarinet magic and a most poignant muted trumpet inflection. This was a glorious setting of musical myth and legend.
How well-programmed was the finale, Richard Strauss’ Symphonic Fantasy, with forthright lower brass asserting themselves right out there. In Wagner’s musical themes we felt for the flawed mortals whose relationships ultimately sought a more transcendent path. Strauss’ gorgeous melodies elevated our hearts, with strings bringing brighter timbres, woodwind solos rising and falling from heavenly heights, and xylophone and brass marching to hope and glory. Individual instruments shone out with flashes of short entries and motifs all building to a big full finish. It’s not often we can highlight the triangle for a rare and significant role in the back row, teaming with glockenspiel and flute to shine out in the universe.
During a lengthy final applause, Gabel engaged light-heartedly with the audience by “directing” their applause to each section of the orchestra with rousing and light-hearted engagement. This was a most satisfying MSO musical affair, a stimulating and grand musical program, but sadly there was much more than the usual amount of lengthy coughing from varied audience positions, a disconcerting sign indeed of the human condition this Spring and not possible to forbid.
Photo credit: Laura Manariti
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Julie McErlain reviewed “Forbidden Love” presented by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall on October 12, 2024.
