BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with Alban Gerhardt (cello) and David Nuttall (oboe), conducted by Marko Letonja
Symphony no. 1, ‘Classical’ by Prokofiev; ‘The Persistence of Memory’ by Graeme Koehne (world premiere); Chamber Symphony no. 2 by Schoenberg; Cello Concerto by Dvorak
Federation Concert Hall, Hobart, 8 August 2014
On the night of Peter Sculthorpe’s death, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra came together for a magnificent concert which they dedicated to the legendary Australian composer.
The evening opened with Prokofiev’s spirited Symphony no. 1, ‘Classical’. Despite a few differing interpretations of tempo in the early movements (a speedy brass player here, a lagging woodwind there), the orchestra eventually found its true spark of energy in the dancing unison strings of the Gavotte (Non troppo allegro). This liveliness persisted through the Finale (Molto vivace) and indeed the rest of the concert – almost as though the orchestra had been waiting for these movements to unleash its zeal and make the audience regretful of the work’s short 15-minute duration.
The evening was special for many reasons – one being the world premiere of Australian composer Graeme Koehne’s ‘The Persistence of Memory’. The work for strings and oboe was dedicated to the late Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Oboe Guy Henderson, and in its premiere featured TSO Principal Oboe David Nuttall. Opening with a lullaby-like tune between the violin and cello, the work was peacefully slow to unfold. Repetitive arpeggio-like lines from strings and continuously pulsing double basses gently supported David’s melody, which he performed with a refined and enrapturing tone. The work was well matched to the program, for like the Dvorak Cello Concerto, it did not sacrifice the importance of the broader string section to showcase the soloist’s virtuosity alone.
Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony no. 2 followed. Arguably one of the composer’s more accessible works, the program notes described distinctive tonalities of E-flat minor in the first and G major in the second movement. Stirring and at times cinematic, the work ended on a mighty minor chord which announced the interval.
The orchestra returned with renowned German musician Alban Gerhardt for the Dvorak Cello Concerto (check out what Alban had to say about the work here). The calmness of the introduction was short lived, and the composer’s yearning for his homeland is soon heard through both fearless and sentimental melodies. Even before his initial entry, Alban had been participating in the music with his body alone; his face exuding the passion of a man deeply connected to the work (but he did steal the occasional cheeky grin with the players surrounding him). This continued when he began to play, as though he desperately wished for us to understand the intention behind each note he communicated. His playing was decisive and forceful with an astounding range of tone colours – at times performing with an irresistible warmth and sensibility; at others, powering through with harshness and aggression – and he could switch between them quicker than the ear can comprehend. After the conclusion of this masterwork, Alban returned to the stage to honour the late Peter Sculthorpe with a charming solo Bach.
The concert was one of the most engaging I’ve seen of the orchestra this year, with a very well picked program, a stunning world premiere, and a gathering of some of the great talents of our generation. What better way to celebrate the memory of Peter Sculthorpe? I’m sure he’d have been very pleased.
Image supplied.
