Consistently praised with glowing descriptions of being the most exciting and the best chamber music ensemble around, the standing ovation received by Omega Ensemble’s performance in Elizabeth Murdoch Hall topped off a magnificent musical evening. Superlatives fall short when an audience is speechless, breathless and mesmerised by a perfectly blended and balanced group of musicians united in rhythm, harmony and range of colour in exciting contemporary classical music. Detailed program notes included the catchcry “Embrace the unexpected, celebrate the extraordinary” – an invitation for audiences to enjoy exciting new commissions by this dynamic chamber music ensemble.
The invitation by the Melbourne Recital Centre for the public to attend a pre-concert interview with well-loved leading Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin also provided a special enjoyment and understanding of this brilliant composer’s personal story and creativity.
As a flexible chamber music ensemble, Omega Ensemble also offered us a grand visual sight: 8 violins, 3 violas, 2 celli, 1 double bass, piano, harpsichord, synthesizer, orchestral harp and solo clarinet. The balance and blend was perfect. Exceptional, in fact. In each piece, colour, energy, seamlessly blended textures and ensemble harmony created a magical atmosphere. All works in the program wove stimulating waves of sound and rhythmic excitement in Classical/Baroque traditions with the contemporary vision of composers Jessie Montgomery, Elena Kats-Chernin and Max Richter.
Composer-violinist Montgomery (b.1981) Musical America’s composer of the Year 2023 has “truly arrived”. Her Concerto Grosso began with low rhythmic pulsations, as repetitious strings blended a weaving repetitious accompaniment under broad solo violin and clarinet phrases. Continual interplay of colourfully blocked chordal patterns created a shifting landscape of waves of unison rhythm and colour. Were there passing glimpses of Barber’s well-loved opulent string textures? Brief, tense sections of surprising harsh motifs in the full ensemble added a contemporary edge, the work pleasantly and successfully just highlighting concerto style as solo clarinet and violin rose and conversed above scenic passage of waves of string and piano colour.
Also commissioned by Omega and premiered tonight, was Ornamental Air, a stimulating, energetic, uplifting and at times playful work by Elena Kats-Chernin. Her buoyant trademark textures were there – virtuosic melodic and broken chordal patterns, rhythmic, flowing and always colourful. Here, favourite ingredients from the folk music of other times and places formed a solid base, with modes and scale patterns, folk dance rhythms and accented irregular meters adding strong energy and power. Bow slapping on strings added percussive colour, and the key soloist, David Rowden, shone in free clarinet recitative-like gentle cadenzas, flowing magnificently over low sustained strings. Like on a magical carpet ride, we flew across shadows of exotic lands, feeling touches of Hollywood, cinematic panoramas, rainbows, songs and ballads, increasing with children’s playfulness and a suggestion of a Parisian carnival. As the work developed in energy and structure, we felt joy and hope with superb clarinet lines dancing playfully with the piano, their independent solo lines driving the accompanying ensemble. The composer came on stage for a most enthusiastic celebratory reception.
Contemporary, energetic artist and leader, the brilliant violinist Véronique Serret, led the final innovative and mesmerising work: Max Richter’s The Four Seasons Recomposed – the work that successfully brought pianist and composer Max Richter to the top of the 2012 classical charts. It seems that it is in this century we have seen a recognition and rise in popularity for the students of noted Italian composer Luciano Berio (1925-2003). It is his pioneering work in electronic music and minimalism that influenced his students, Steve Reich, Ludovico Einaudi and Max Richter, bringing electronics, visual representations, innovative film scores and re-classicism (or “Baroque decomposition”) to the orchestral world. Taking just a quarter of Vivaldi’s work, Richter created an entirely new score weaving his own structure and re-assembling Vivaldi’s unique themes with Richter’s own experimental material. What an exciting work, showing Omega Ensemble’s commitment, passion and high level of instrumental skill and musicianship in a technically flawless and colourfully magnetic presentation of chamber music. In Spring, low earthy synthesizer tones and string bass began a slow growth of string virtuosity, fragmented upper strings and high-flying bird trills. Vivaldi’s opening familiar theme of Summer began with spacious, still, windless heat, before accelerating with intensity and abrupt and unresolved patterns. Persistent high, ethereal sustained notes were unsettling, and the audience felt the relief when Vivaldi’s familiar whirlwind of descending, stormy, melodies arrived. Winter brought a fragile spirit on the harpsichord, with strings cool and on edge, with original themes altered, “losing” notes and forming agitated seven-time rhythmic shapes. Omega players were remarkable in their united upper pitch extremities on strings taking us to an eerie outer sonic space.
Thoughtful, challenging, stimulating colourful music for the soul and mind. This outstanding performance by a truly adventurous, classy and exciting Omega Ensemble brought the audience – with a high proportion of young people – to their feet. A truly great event.
Photo credit: Jay Patel
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Julie McErlain reviewed “RE:CLASSICAL”, presented by Omega Ensemble at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on April 15, 2024.
