BY SAMUEL COTTELL
Grevillea Ensemble
Chamber Works Recital Series presenting Andrew Ford, ‘Last Words’ and ‘Domestic Advice’
Recital Hall East, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, 1 September
Grevillea Ensemble was formed in 1999 by soprano Wendy Dixon and Pianist David Miller. Since then, the duo has collaborated with a plethora of musicians in a diverse range of settings. The draw card is the performance of intimate chamber music recitals, often featuring newly commissioned works and Australian works. As well as a busy performing schedule, Wendy and David have recorded dozens of Australian songs by Australian composers and have maintained widely recognised careers in Australia and abroad. In this evening’s setting, they perform Andrew Ford’s two song cycles ‘Domestic Advice’ and ‘Last Words’.
Ford’s ‘Domestic Advice’ takes it text from a variety of sources, including the Bible (Proverbs), ‘The Girls Own Annual 1919’, and ‘Kanteletar’ (Finnish songs translated into English). Here, Ford takes instructions for art class, cooking and motherly advice and weaves them through a web of semi-linked statements that result in a song cycle.
The opening song of ‘Domestic Advice’ begins with two loud, sustained chords at the extremes of the piano. This allows room for Dixon’s voice to weave throughout the melodic material. David Miller’s piano playing is resound and punchy, particularly in the rhythmically moving songs. David’s approach to these rhythms is profound and full of zeal – he would pass for a respectable boogie pianist, engaging with the driving rhythms and their related harmonies with a natural ease and affinity for contemporary music.
The text of ‘When Snow is on the landscape’, taken from ‘The Girls Own Annual 1919′, is beautifully coupled with the music by Ford. Here he displays a more tender aspect in the suite. Wendy Dixon renders these songs with a natural ease, as though she has sung them her whole life. She encapsulated the character of each song with a deep understanding and gracefulness. Her performance of ‘When Snow is on the landscape’ is hauntingly beautiful and a certain stillness falls upon the recital hall. Wendy’s characterization of the pieces also heightens the coupling of music and text, and she appears as a discerning teacher or mother imparting her wisdom. In the hands of the Grevillea Ensemble, a soup recipe even becomes a thing of grace and elegance.
The second part of the program is Andrew Ford’s ‘Last Words’. The songs are described in the program note as a “cycle of songs and monologues, strung together to form a single structure”. The cycle includes texts from the last words of largely famous literary figures. Most of the songs are slow in nature, and given the topic of the songs this seems appropriate. Ford creates a mix of songs that lament or ponder on what seems like an important part of someone’s lives.
The slow and reflective aspects of the music are wonderfully drawn out the writing by the ensemble and the atmospheric vibes created were effective in setting the overall mood. Wendy’s understanding of the phrasing and approach in this music is demonstrated in her clear approach to each note and phrase. Her voice, ranging from low to very high, exhibits different qualities in each register and heightens the drama in the music.
The slow music is broken by using text from Tim Winton’s ‘Cloudstreet’. The text depicts the character of Fish Lamb, to quote the program notes, “lumber and cluttering along the jetty on his way to the ocean”. Here, the ensemble changes pace and approach and a lively and punchy rhythmic song ensues. David’s crisp and clean punctuation of this fast paced song provides a sonic wall over which Wendy glides and floats.
The second last song, the last words of Virginia Woolf, is the most haunting and Wendy’s interpretation of these brings out the raw emotion of the words with her considered and thoughtful approach to the text and the notes. Her notes are expansive and this is effective in allow the full impact of the music to sink in. The two string players Wen Zhu and Douglas Emery are a strong addition to Grevillea Ensemble. Most of the writing for the strings includes harmonics and their role is largely textural, nevertheless they create the perfect atmosphere of sound with their clear cut harmonic and rhythmic playing.
Wen Zhu’s violin playing, particularly where she is playing a solo, is a full and rich sound. Her command of tone and inflection adds a dramatic and lingering quality, subtly shading the atmosphere of the pieces. The final song in the cycle included the last words of Noel Coward: “Goodnight, my darlings. I’ll see you tomorrow”, and provides a bittersweet conclusion to the cycle, ending on a positive tone.
This is a performance for an ensemble that specialises in intimate chamber recitals and has a long working history. The musicians’ intricate knowledge and ability in performing new music shows in this performance. David Miller and Wendy Dixon form a perfect musical pairing; a match of high energy, virtuosity and the ability to capture the spirit, right down to the microcosms of each note, phrase and nuance.
Image supplied.
