BY MIRANDA ILCHEF, LEAD WRITER
Academy of St Martin in the Fields (Program 1)
Sydney Opera House, 7 October
Our very own Sydney Opera House was recently privileged to host the world’s most renowned chamber orchestra; the illustrious Academy of St Martin in the Fields led by the incomparable Joshua Bell. Over three nights the orchestra delivered three programs to full houses of Sydneysiders.
The audience was dressed for the occasion, defying the somewhat informal reputation of Australian audiences with three-piece suits and floor-length ballgowns aplenty. There was a tangible sense of occasion, and when Joshua Bell walked onstage he was accompanied by some anticipatory whooping (somewhat rare in the context of a classical music concert) from the mega-fans. The members of the orchestra took their seats and tuned while Joshua took a moment to look around the ensemble, seeming to make eye contact with each individual player before they begun Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony; an electrifyingly energetic opener. I haven’t heard this piece live for quite a few years, and was impressed with the clarity of each section (and even each musician) thanks to the Sydney Opera House’s recent acoustic renovations. The orchestra delivered the uplifting first theme with careless abandon, rising and swelling with elegance through this masterpiece of neoclassicism.
As a violinist myself, I was particularly blown away by the comprehensive solidarity of each of the string sections. The first violins were so entirely united in both ensemble and tone that they sounded simply as one amplified instrument while they sent the piece’s melodies soaring across the hall: this was particularly noticeable in the second movement. The final movement also showcased an impressively mighty woodwind section – it was hard to believe there were just eight players. Joshua’s conductorial flourishes were also notable, injecting gesture and phrase where many chamber music leaders only provide practical guidance on entries and tempo-keeping.
The next treat on the program was Mendelssohn’s timeless Violin Concerto in E minor. The audience was rapturous and from my seat I could once again hear audible gasps and exclaims of delight even as Joshua had barely begun to play. He delivered my favourite section of the first movement — the achingly beautiful slow theme — with a crystalline tone, and the second movement was executed with technical perfection. The third movement is always a showstopper, but I was particularly impressed with how Joshua wielded his bow with a whip-like precision, proving himself a thoroughly consummate cowboy of classical music. At one or two points, he was close to leaving the orchestra in the dust as they almost fell behind his virtuosic melody, but mostly they were able to follow with remarkable loyalty — and indeed those almost-runaway sections added to the excitement and pacing of the piece, in my view. Overall Joshua executed this classic concerto with an exuberance and contagious enthusiasm.
But the enthusiasm wasn’t limited to the soloist. In the second half, we heard Mendelssohn’s bold and oftentimes moody Scottish Symphony, the composer’s third and my personal favourite. The opening phrases, which show off the darker sonorities of the cellos and violas, were extremely evocative and laid the foundations for the violins to soar above. I noted how genuinely joyful and present every musician seemed – there were many grins across the sections during the delightfully playful Scotch ‘snaps’ (a characteristically Scottish rhythmic pattern involving a quick note followed by a longer one). The strong connection between musicians was both audible and visible as the symphony soared to a climactic finish.
The dynamic range the orchestra were able to create was one of the most impressive elements of the night. With such smaller numbers it is easy to see how they could achieve a breathless quiet in the pianissimo sections, but in the loudest sections they boasted fortissimos worthy of a full symphony orchestra.
Saturday’s concert was a pleasure to hear and a delight to behold. From my perspective, the only thing that was missing was an encore – or 10.
Images supplied, credit Jay Pattel.
