It is a tribute to the quality of the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra that their latest offering, “Two Masterpieces”, could sell out well before its chilly mid-winter date. As the orchestra’s Artistic Director and Chief Conductor, Rick Prakhoff, remarked in his words of welcome, this concert included some exciting features, the most important being the participation of Natalia Carter, who was recently awarded an Assistant Conductor Scholarship with the Zelman Symphony.
Following Deborah Cheetham Fraillon’s musical Acknowledgment of Country, Long Time Living Here – played by all strings rather than the customary one-per-part string quartet version favoured by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Natalia Carter went on to conduct Elgar’s Elegy Op. 58 (1909). Composed a month after the death of his friend August Jaeger – subject of the famous “Nimrod” variation – this work was also the last piece Elgar conducted before his death in 1933. Within its five-minute duration, Carter drew a warm resonant sound from the strings, her baton-less hands confidently shaping this gently expressive music. Although this introduction to the “Two Masterpieces” didn’t rate the title’s description it is a true gem in its own right, and the atmosphere created in this performance was suitably poignant.
Doubtless, another dual drawcard for this concert was Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35 being played by young German violinist Anna Dorothea Mutterer. We are fortunate that Zelman Symphony attracts sufficient philanthropic support – thank you Andrew Johnston – to allow us to hear such outstanding soloists. Mutterer’s status as a rising star was amply justified in this performance, her alluring tone and virtuosity clearly winning over the audience. It was pure joy to hear the piercing sweetness of those ultra high notes carving out singing phrases towards the end of the first movement, and it was no surprise to hear the audience applaud enthusiastically as that long, passionate Allegro con brio movement, with its gripping cadenza, came to a thrilling conclusion. Tchaikovsky’s orchestration provides ample opportunity for the soloist to shine, and that is exactly what she did. After some good-humoured wrangling with a recalcitrant peg, Mutterer gave a persuasive account of the soulful second movement Andante, and her technical assurance in the Allegro molto Finale made us wonder why anybody ever thought this concerto was “unplayable”.
Mutterer’s encore of the Sarabande from Bach’s Partita No. 2 was rendered with grace and authority – something for audience members and players alike to enjoy.
Much of the success of this performance lay with the orchestra. Rick Prakhoff conducted with precision while allowing commendable rhythmic elasticity. In both the concerto and the following symphony, the orchestra responded confidently and with a unified sense of purpose to variations in phrasing and tempi.
In a friendly brief chat before conducting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 Eroica, Prakhoff described what had led him to become a conductor and called this work “the greatest symphony of all time”, while admitting Beethoven’s No 7 is “pretty good too”. Possibly inspired by Prakhoff’s enthusiasm, the players’ concentration was unwavering; from spot-on unison for the two opening chords until a similarly disciplined ending, all sections of the orchestra distinguished themselves. There might have been a few blemishes in those testing horn parts, but the trio of horns in the Beethoven and the quartet in the Tchaikovsky made a worthy job of it. Principal oboe and flute players were particularly fine in their solos, and, along with the woodwinds in general, were a pleasure to hear as they passed around melodic fragments. Led by two experienced professionals, the first violins produced a well-integrated sound of considerable beauty, while at the other end of the string spectrum the double basses anchored the orchestra in solid resonance.
Although the programming was about as conservative as you can get, nobody was complaining. It was familiar music that everybody in the hall loved – full of the most wonderful melodies and musical invention. To see this orchestra in all its diversity of age and background achieve such a splendid standard was tremendously uplifting – a huge credit to the dedicated musicians, Rick Prakhoff and those who support Zelman Symphony.
Fortunately, this performance was being filmed, giving others the opportunity to hear it in addition to providing a record of a memorable occasion.
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Heather Leviston reviewed “Two Masterpieces”, presented as part of Zelman Symphony’s 2024 Year of the Violin series at the James Tatoulis Auditorium, Methodist Ladies College, on June 22, 2024.
