BY JOSEPH ASQUITH, LEAD WRITER (EDUCATION)
Bach to the Bush
Anthony Albrecht
Adamstown Uniting Church, Newcastle, 22 December 2018
In the midst of the summer festive season, a sophisticated program of solo cello music never goes astray.
On 22 December, London-based (and Newcastle-born) cellist Anthony Albrecht performed his trademark recital entitled Bach to the Bush at Adamstown Uniting Church. Featuring works by Sarah Hopkins, Johann Sebastian Bach, Giuseppe Columbi, and Evaristo Felice Dall’Abaco, the intimacy and accessibility of this program was ideal for a quiet Australian summer afternoon.
The first work on the program was Hopkins’ Reclaiming the Spirit. Written as an homage to the Australian landscape, this performance captured the essence of our awe-inspiring natural features. The sparseness, the aridness, the variety of habitats, and the sacred energy of the continent were all encapsulated in the bass drone, lyricism of the melody, and rich tonal colours exuded by the overtone harmonics.
Next on the program was Bach’s representative work for solo cello; Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. Despite this piece being so well-known, Albrecht’s interpretation seemed to give the impression of hearing it for the first time. The lushness of the double-stops, the moving lyricism, the elegantly delivered virtuosity, and the calmative effect of the Baroque idiom – all imbued within reverent showmanship – made for a fresh and vitalising performance.
After an interval (comprising of rather delicious fruitcake), Guiseppe Columbi’s Ciaccona per basso solo featured as the third item in the recital. Perhaps a lesser-known work by the Italian composer, this short performance was delineated with élan, vivacity, and musical wit; a perfect start to the second half of the concert.
Following the performance of Columbi’s work was another composition by Bach called Suite No. 2 in D minor. It should be noted that, along with being a highly engaging and captivating musician, Albrecht is also a superb orator. He prefaced this performance with a talk about how key of D minor was a quintessentially about grief and loss in the Baroque period; and how this is likely to reflect the intense grief that Bach would have gone through with the death of his first wife Maria Barbara Bach in 1720, and the loss of 10 of his 20 children before they reached adulthood. Indeed, with the life expectancy in 18th Century Germany being roughly 30 years, young death and loss would have been abundant. This performance was executed with a deep sensitivity, poignancy, and grace – conveying the complexities of emotional turmoil with superb attention to expressive detail.
The final work of the program was Dall’Abaco’s Capricci No. 3 in E-flat. It is noted that the key of E-flat major was “indescribably gentle” (Kellner, 1787). This temperate work was performed with spirited enthusiasm; the mellifluousness of the lyricism, the warm tone of the 200+-year-old cello, and the gentle rhythmic tightness enchanted the audience with an uplifting and exuberant air of passion; highly appropriate for the festive season.
Bach to the Bush is always a delightful recital to behold. Albrecht’s way of facilitating an inclusive musical program – along with his fine musicianship, witty banter and approachable demeanour – made for a most enjoyable, respiteful afternoon of refined musical performance.
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Images supplied.
