BY JO ST LEON
The Trout
Michael Aquilina Chamber Music Festival — Concert 1
Laurence Matheson (piano); Dale Barltrop (violin); Christopher Cartlidge (viola); Rachael Tobin (cello); Stephen Newton (double bass)
Melbourne Digital Concert Hall, Athenaeum Theatre, 30 May
This concert was the opening event in the Michael Aquilina Chamber Music Festival, and it was a fitting tribute to Aquilina’s outstanding philanthropy. I loved this performance — it was filled with youthful exuberance, total commitment, and some very fine artistry.
In the Scherzo, which they took at a cracking pace, the musicians exhibited considerable virtuosity and some exceptional ensemble skills, despite the social distancing. The Andante was notable for its intimacy and the beauty of the heartfelt melodic lines, as well as the clarity and equality of the voices. The Theme and Variations retained the vocal quality of Schubert’s song whilst also expressing the individual characters of the instruments.
I have nothing negative to say about this performance, and I cannot single out any individual for special praise. The ensemble was so unified, its players became a single entity. I listened on an iPad, which did not do justice to either the group or the individual tone qualities of the instruments. Nevertheless, I did get a sense of the tonal variety, dynamic range, and overwhelming enthusiasm from the musicians — but it felt slightly distant on my iPad.
Since the lockdown began, there has been an outpouring of musicians posting solo clips of themselves or ensembles of many musicians all playing in their own living rooms. Some have been good, some less so, and many of them more about technological skill than artistry. It has felt like the death throes of a dying artform. But on Saturday night, I saw a true example of musicians, like phoenixes, rising from the ashes of their afflicted profession to find a way of sharing their love and their passion for fine music. The Melbourne Digital Concert Hall and Michael Aquilina have given us a constructive model of how musicians can be supported and heard in these troubling times. Classical music will not be killed off by a mere virus.
Image supplied.
