Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto is always a welcome visitor to Melbourne, his youthful energy matching well with that of the Australian Chamber Orchestra – and, on this occasion, with the Orchestra of the Academy. The Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) boasts an entire cohort of students who are soloist material and yet they deliver fine ensemble playing without any one individual looking to grab centre stage – quite an achievement in itself! In any case, Kuusisto could hardly help but dominate the space, at least in the opening work: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major Op. 61. As well as being the soloist, he conducted the work; no easy feat with an intense and demanding score before him. Kuusisto’s quirky style was evident from the outset, as he played a brisk little march to accompany the ANAM musicians to their seats, and then addressed the audience through a megaphone – lending a sense of vaudeville to the occasion. But when they began to play the musicians showed the elite quality of the ensemble and their absolute confidence in their conductor/soloist. They were right to do so: Kuusisto has the supreme musicality as well as technical brilliance that the work requires. High notes in the first movement had an almost ethereal quality – a clever deception, as incredible control was needed to sustain them. Interestingly, Kuusisto faced the audience (as a soloist would normally do) but this forced the ensemble to ‘read his back’ for direction – apart from the occasional glance over his shoulder – as Beethoven allowed the soloist very little breathing space in this, his only violin concerto. And yet the connection between the players was never in question. It was also a tribute to the professionalism of the event that when the town hall clock struck a single loud chime, everyone from Kuusisto to the audience chuckled – but the mood of the moment was not broken. The solo cadenza at the end of the first movement was unexpectedly sombre and spare, with a brief pizzicato leading back into the purity of the main subject. Both delicate and sweeping in its concept, the second movement saw the ‘orchestra of soloists’ beautifully restrained, letting Kuusisto have the credit for a sound to rival the best of Beethoven’s symphonies. The strings maintained a delicate pizzicato against the ‘barely there’ solo part, before the brass signalled a return a fuller sound to end the movement. The sprightly final movement of the concerto seemed tailor-made for Kuusisto and the Academy Orchestra, with its embellishments and enjoyable dance-like rhythm. After what appeared to be a brilliant climax there was yet more intense music – especially for the strings – before Kuusisto managed to include all players in an encouraging smile as they brought the work to a triumphant end. The night was just beginning, with a Haydn symphony to complete the first set, and two more to follow. The second was Tino Hietala’s Great Mistakes (2010), with 13 movements, including ‘Wrong key passacaglia with unlucky horrorstops’ and other tantalising titles. Unfortunately, your reviewer had to make her own ‘horror stop’ outside the auditorium, as a consequence of an autumn cold. (A fellow reviewer in Melbourne once wrote, with some asperity: “In the past when people had respiratory complaints they went to sanitoria, now they go to symphony concerts”. I was determined not to be one of them!) This meant that regrettably I also had to miss the final set, Subterraneo, in which Kuusisto was joined by pianist Iiro Rantala and some ANAM musicians to ‘take tango where it has never been before’ – by all reports a highlight of the night. But although I heard only the first, albeit major, item of the night it certainly made me keen to hear more of what ANAM has to offer – and, with a great season on offer for 2011, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to do just that. Three Finnish Sets South Melbourne Town Hall Friday May 13 Set I – Farewell BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D major Op. 61 HAYDN Symphony No. 88 in G major PEKKA KUUSISTO violin/director ORCHESTRA OF THE ACADEMY Set II – Great Mistakes HIETALA Great Mistakes KUUSISTO/RANTALA/ANAM MUSICIANS Improvisation PEKKA KUUSISTO violin IIRO RANTALA piano MUSICIANS OF THE ACADEMY Set III – Subterraneo From Buenos Aires to Helsinki, the golden age to the modern age. Two Finnish virtuosi, take tango where it has never been before. PEKKA KUUSISTO violin IIRO RANTALA piano MUSICIANS OF THE ACADEMY Australian National Academy of Music www.anam.com.au