The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s musical journey to the Americas captures three quite different musical trips. The contemporary composer Jimmy Lopez was born in Peru; Czech composer Antonin Dvorak made the journey to America and was living there when he wrote his second cello concerto; while Australian composer and jazz pianist Joe Chindamo makes a musical nod to the jazz age in his Concerto for Orchestra.
This program involves a journey from the Americas as well, with the MSO playing under the baton of Peruvian conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, currently Music Director Laureate of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
The concert opened with Fiesta!, four pop dances for orchestra by Jimmy Lopez, a contemporary Peruvian composer, who currently holds composer-in-residence positions in the USA and Canada. Harth-Bedoya has a personal connection with Fiesta!, having commissioned it in 2007 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lima Philharmonic Society, and conducted it many times since, including for the Australian premiere in Sydney in 2013.
So it came as no surprise that Harth-Bedoya was able to galvanise the MSO to produce the metronomic accuracy and energy needed to convey what Lopez describes as “the primeval driving forces” of the four pop dances.
Lopez’ music explores complex, repetitive Latin-American rhythms, drawing on techno-electronic dance music. All four movements – Trance 1, Countertime, Trance 2 and Techno – involve “moments” for the various sections of the orchestras, with melodies created around complex rhythmic patterns. The MSO performed with unfailing energy and precision throughout, with the percussion section deserving a special shout out.
With a long career as a jazz composer and pianist, Chindamo is now exploring classical genres in his compositions. Chindamo sees the concerto for an orchestra as an essentially democratic genre, in contrast to a standard classical concerto, where the soloist is featured as a “superhero”.
Inspired particularly by Bartok’s seminal work in this genre, Chindamo exploits the enormous palette of tones and colours the orchestra offers in his own Concerto for Orchestra. It feels like a loosely woven fabric, with the four movements – Preludio (Con bravura), Adagio, Intermezzo, Corale (Pastoral), Scherzo (Giocoso), Interludio (Grave – Like the wind) – Cadenze – Moto Perpetuo – weaving smoothly into one another. It felt as though the audience was being offered a succession of delicious treats. In his pre-concert chat, Chindamo spoke about the importance, and the challenge, of achieving clarity. In this piece, the subtle balance between the sections enabled stand-out solos to be clearly heard, even when softly played.
Chindamo confided that this was the first time he had heard his work performed, having been in lockdown in 2021 when it was premiered by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He joined the performers on stage after this performance to warm applause.
The soloist for this performance of Dvorak’s ever popular Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 was the vibrant German cellist, Raphaela Gromes, making her Australian debut. This work is deservedly a favourite, with Dvorak offering a constant stream of gripping, emotionally charged melodies colourfully orchestrated in his distinctive style.
Gromes clearly has a stellar technique; she seemed totally comfortable with the concerto, despite its technical challenges. She evidently relished the company of the MSO; she listened attentively and played responsively, drawing attention to the musical conversation between the soloist and the orchestra. Her close connection with the orchestra was particularly effective at the beginning of the second movement Adagio ma non troppo, which the MSO’s wind and lower strings played with extreme delicacy and purity.
An encore naturally followed. Gromes’ choice – Tropar, a prayer for peace by the Ukrainian composer Hanna Havrylets (1958-2022) – reflected her commitment to promote the works of female composers and her support for Ukraine. In what was arguably the highlight of the evening, Gromes was joined by four MSO celli under principal David Berlin in a soulful, stirring and exquisitely beautiful rendition of Havrylets’ prayer.
Photo supplied.
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Sue Kaufmann attended “Journey to the Americas” presented by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall, on July 17, 2025.
