Mozart & Handel Concertos

With a more specific title than seems to be the fashion, it is fortunate that the Australian Chamber Orchestra was able to deliver on its promise of Mozart and Handel. A Vivaldi violin concerto, however, fell by the wayside because of the unfortunate injury of Satu Vanska. Vanska was replaced by ACO Principal Violin Helena Rathbone, who had expected to spend the month in Tasmania with ACO2. And a concerto by Avison ‘after Scarlatti’ was the substitute for the Vivaldi, with dynamic guest director Richard Egarr suggesting that it offered a very acceptable alternative for those who needed a Vivaldi ‘fix’! This is, however, getting ahead of what proved to be a very fast-paced concert, with each item deserving of mention. The program, after adjustments, was: CORELLI Concerto Grosso, Op.6 No.1 CASTELLO Two Sonatas, per stromenti d’arco BIBER Battalia AVISON/SCARLATTI Concerto Grosso No.3 in D minor MOZART Piano Concerto No.12 HANDEL Concerto Grosso, Op.6 No.1 Guest Director Richard Egarr played a double keyboard harpsichord for all but the Mozart, which was played on the fortepiano. Helena Rathbone as Lead Violin proved an invaluable asset as a number of the concerti grossi had demanding violin solos. Egarr was the drawcard on this occasion. Billed as one of the world’s finest keyboard players, respected conductor and historian, and director of the Academy of Ancient Music, Egarr also showed himself worthy of the label ‘musical firebrand’. He did this, not just in his introductions to the works (and, I’m told, in his pre-concert talks) but by drawing out the spark within each one. The opening work, Corelli’s Concerto Grosso, Op.6 No.1, was a case in point, with the composer described as ‘a godfather figure’ who ‘had power and knew how to use it’. The work certainly began with power: a Largo featuring contrasting blocks of sound, involving all players and glorious in the Hall’s acoustics. The succeeding Allegro suited the energetic director and the ACO strings with the rest of the work mainly at that pace, with a short adagio – a transition that featured Rathbone’s violin, first in a delicate solo then leading the orchestra to a brisk ending. Castello was represented by two sonatas, each of them music for effect, described by Egarr as ‘early 17th century avant-garde’, and a reaction against the linear style of church music. The first began uncontroversially, with warm full harmony in an adagio passage. Then the dance began – or so it sounded, with the effect being like a ‘round’ in vocal music. The second featured a complex rhythm from the outset, with admirable bowing and some showy harpsichord effects before a more measured ending. Biber’s Battalia may be better known to ACO and keen baroque followers. Again, Egarr’s description was fitting: ‘a pop-baroque evocation of a battle’. The work seems centuries ahead of its time in evoking scenes, like the militaristic riding-out (with players stamping their feet and using their instruments for special effects) and the daring atonal effect of playing eight tunes at once, to suggest drunk soldiers. During the frenetic battle scenes, Egarr rested his head on the keyboard but fortunately ‘revived’ to join in the chromatic passages that cleverly suggested falling, before the inevitably hushed ending. The next two items (before and after interval) were showpieces for the two soloists. Concerto Grosso No.3 in D minor by the 18th century composer Charles Avison was based on keyboard sonatas by Scarlatti. As promised, it did suggest Vivaldi in its energy; several brilliant solos by Rathbone, well supported by the ACO, were also highlights of the performance. Egarr’s chance to shine came in the Mozart Piano Concerto in A, K414, written (so Gordon Kerry’s program notes reveal) to be a popular piece. The composer saw the work as ‘very brilliant, pleasing to the ear, and natural, without being vapid’ – a perfect description of what this audience heard. Egarr and the ACO are a natural ‘fit’ as the Mozart showed – and the Handel Concerto Grosso in G major Op6, No1 was an excellent vehicle both to demonstrate this, and to end the program. I could analyse the work at length or simply share my conclusion: ‘spirited, contrasting, shimmering sound’. That pretty much sums up the whole concert. Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5 Mozart & Handel Concertos Australian Chamber Orchestra Richard Egarr: Guest Director, Harpsichord, Fortepiano Helena Rathbone: Lead Violin Melbourne Recital Centre 6 – 8 October Additional dates: Adelaide: 9 October Perth: 10 October Sydney: 13-14 & 16-17 October Wollongong: 15 October Newcastle: 18 October