BY CELINE CHONG, LEAD WRITER (QLD)
Soloists and Spontaneity
Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alondra de la Parra, featuring artist-in-residence Sergio Tiempo
QPAC, 4 August
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s final concert with artist-in-residence Sergio Tiempo promised stunning spontaneity not just from the soloist, but the entire orchestra; and once again, they certainly delivered. With music director Alondra de la Parra on the podium, the QSO delighted us with a stellar program of Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks, Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and Rachmaninov’s mighty Piano Concerto No. 3
(Disclaimer: this is definitely a top contender for my favourite QSO concerto performance of the year!)
The concert began with Dumbarton Oaks, a twist on Bach’s timeless Brandenburg Concertos. With the work being scored for a chamber orchestra of only 15 players, it was a chance to see QSO’s section leaders really shine. The work was rhythmically dynamic, with high bursts of energy and interaction between the different instruments. It was great to see QSO’s leaders performing in a more interactive and intimate setting, in contrast to the grand scale of their usual symphonic repertoire.
The woodwind players in particular brought a buoyant and sprightly sound to the group, and principal double bassist Phoebe Russell was especially engaging to watch through her highly animated and energised playing.
The second half saw the full orchestra tackle Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra in a grand display of versatility and virtuosity from all sections; a concerto for the entire orchestra rather than one single instrument. Though I felt the performance took a little bit of time to hit the ground running, the orchestra ended on an impressive note. The final two movements were tightly woven and expertly performed in all their quirky finesse and thundering power.
However, my personal favourite of the night was Tiempo’s unusual-yet-stunning rendition of Rachmaminov’s Piano Concerto No. 3, widely acknowledged as one of the hardest concertos in the piano repertoire. His was by no means a conventional performance, as he brought out notes and melodic lines hidden deep within the Rachmaninov’s thick pianistic textures. As well as this, the chosen tempo was brisk; where the first movement is normally broad and brooding, Tiempo’s conveyed a refreshing lightness to the opening melody, always hinting at the work’s quintessential melancholy, but never succumbing to it.
The second and third movements were equally enthralling. In the second, the swells between beauty through simplicity and sheer magnificence took us on a journey, and it was amazing to watch the ease with which Tiempo drew his palette of contrasting colours from his instrument. And with the final movement, there was no doubt that this performance was all his. Tiempo pushed the orchestra to the edge, and, though soloist and orchestra were often a fraction out of sync, the movement’s drive and Tiempo’s authentic, spontaneous, and adrenaline-fuelled performance of it triumphed over any concerns with technical exactitude.
I think it’s safe to say that we all felt his honest and raw energy. There was almost no time at all between Tiempo’s final note and the thunderous applause that followed.
Image supplied.
