BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
‘Baroque and Beyond’
Richard Egarr with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Works by Purcell, Haydn, and Rebel.
Federation Concert Hall, 5 June.
Richard Egarr conducted and performed a splendid evening of early music with members of the TSO. It was a smaller ‘baroque size’ group of musicians on stage for the concert, which opened with Purcell’s ‘The Fairy Queen’ suite. Unusually, Richard addressed the audience regularly throughout the concert, introducing us to the music and inspiring a joyful mood with his displays of witty charm. He’d arranged movements in this suite and its opening Air was regal, clear, and concise. The suite was all about fine balance, which was accentuated by the smaller size of the ensemble. It was a colourful and gently expressive start to the evening.
Richard spoke to the audience a second time as he approached the piano to perform Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D. He drew references to Mozart, and also noted that the work had an absence of cadenzas – ‘so I’m making them up’. Improvising through the work to bring us closer to early musical experiences, Richard’s performance was an utter delight. It was thrilling, rhythmically tight, and brightly ornamented.
After interval we were all set for Rebel’s ‘Les caracteres la danse’. Richard asked: ‘Hands up if you’ve never heard of this chap’, and the audience raised its arms without the slightest hesitation. Jean-Fery Rebel was one of the earliest composers write sonatas in France, but he also wrote dances during the time when women were beginning to take to the stage. This ballet premiered in Paris 1715 and for this concert, exactly three centuries on, was arranged for modern performance by Richard. It sounded far bigger than expected from the small group of musicians on stage and was filled with catchy, toe-tapping themes. Exchanges between the musicians, particularly in the wind section, created an amusing dialogue for the charming work.
The dances were followed by Haydn’s Symphony No. 101 in D ‘The Clock’. The opening Adagio-Presto was utterly energizing. Watching Egarr conduct, his movements made total logical sense. He’s not overtly expressive like other conductors. But he did inspire quite a few musicians to break into a grin, and I found this quite contagious. The second movement of ‘The Clock’ was a little fast for my liking, and a touch bland dynamically. I’d ‘wound down’ (pun intended) by the third movement – but was impressed by a steady and satisfying Finale (Vivace).
Image supplied.
