BY MADELINE ROYCROFT
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Works by Sibelius, Munro, Shostakovich
Hamer Hall, 17 November
Like any self-confessed Russian music nerd, concert programs featuring Shostakovich have my attention by default. Naturally, I’m excited to attend the final MSO chamber concert for 2016, which comprises three works by Sibelius and Shostakovich never before performed by the orchestra, alongside a world premiere of Australian music. Where do I sign?
Beginning with a stirring rendition of Rakastava, Sibelius’ rarely performed suite for string orchestra and percussion, concertmaster Dale Barltrop leads a sizeable string section through the work’s three emotionally charged movements. Depicting a lover’s yearning, search and farewell, Rakastava’s origins as an a cappella choral piece are tastefully upheld in the ensemble’s emotive treatment of melody and lyricism. With a light-hearted interjection from the triangle at the end of the central movement, the ensemble even adds a fleeting moment of humour to the array of sentiments explored in this work. Physical interaction between section principals makes for compelling viewing, as the players function simply as an augmented string quartet.
A similar approach is taken with Sibelius’ Impromptu for string orchestra, derived from an opus of the composer’s piano music. Similar in form to Rakastava but more succinct in length, the MSO strings are polished, pleasant but somewhat lacking in raw emotional power. I assure myself that this debt will be repaid with the Chamber Symphony in F, Rudolf Barshai’s arrangement of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3. While once again poignant in their musicality, having plentiful desks of strings unfortunately detracts clarity and edge from the sound, and I can’t help but feel let down by a remarkably safe realisation of the third movement (always an excellent case study for manifestation of ‘the grotesque’ in music). Still, addition of woodwind colours to the dense string texture is extremely refreshing. The exquisite coupling of cor anglais and viola proves to be a real highlight, as does the mesmerising duet between bassoon and lower strings at the end of the penultimate movement.
Complementing the pre-existing works in tonight’s program, Australian composer/pianist Ian Munro also reveals his new Flute Concerto. Written for and performed by MSO principal Prudence Davis, the concerto is inspired by Australian folk songs of English and Irish tradition that amateur musician John Meredith captured on tape in the late 1950s. By using strings and solo flute to deliver long lines of elegant motivic material, Munro demonstrates why folksong has long been a worthy source of inspiration for many Australian composers. Yet there is something disconcerting about a new piece filled with distinctly ‘white Australian’ themes that doesn’t engage with issues in our colonial history, especially from a composer who has raised concerns about this in the past. Programmed beside Sibelius and Shostakovich — two powerhouses of musical nationalism — it makes sense that we should romanticise music of colonial Australia, but choosing nostalgia over social commentary still feels like a wasted opportunity. Nonetheless, it is wonderful to see an MSO veteran trade in their principal chair for the spotlight, and Prudence Davis delivers a solid interpretation of the solo part.
Even if it worked better on paper than in recital, the MSO’s amalgamation of these four unfamiliar compositions was both enjoyable and thought provoking, which should be expected when sitting down for a jam-packed evening of firsts, flute, and folksong.
Image supplied. Credit: Daniel Aulsebrook.
