BY MICHAEL HAMMELMANN
The New Palm Court Orchestra
Deakin Edge, Federation Square, 10 September
In their last concert of the Bridging Traditions series, the New Palm Court Orchestra along with vocal ensemble The Consort of Melbourne delivered a spectacular program which ranged from film music to bossa nova. Apart from this, the program also featured some original compositions by artistic director and pianist Gemma Turvey.
The ‘American suite’- an original by Gemma describing her experience of visiting the United States as an adult – was breathtakingly magnificent in its delivery. The first movement was a soothing and warm entrance into the program, completely suggestive of Gemma’s arrival to the US. The work then moved towards a jazz- like state in the second movement by quoting some of John Coltrane’s ‘Central Park West’. This then advanced into a trio between the French horn, piano and cello. The work ended with a short yet effective fourth movement in which a sense of departure was also achieved by the orchestra.
‘Glenveagh’ contained wonderful lyricisms as well as engaging moments in which some instruments came into this work one by one until the whole orchestra played, creating a truly energetic tone. This was only enhanced when The Consort of Melbourne emerged from within the audience to add another layer of musical strength, with its rich and full voices blending extremely well with the orchestra. Together they created a majestic and triumphant experience for the audience.
The second part of the program featured some extraordinary works such as ‘Stars’ by Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds, which contained wine glasses being played by the majority of the orchestra. This work really showcased the overall quality of voices in The Consort of Melbourne. The soprano and alto tones were heavenly in their approach as well as the tenors and basses encompassing a strong resonance that filled the room.
‘Chega de Saudade’ was a highlight of the evening – a really quirky song for this program – and both the NPCO and The Consort of Melbourne really made this bossa nova shine. It had an incredible amount of expressiveness and liveliness in its portrayal, and was a definite crowd pleaser.
Other high points of the evening included the orchestra’s ability in solos and improvisation. Gianni Marinucci’s solo work on the flugelhorn and cornet in songs such as ‘Chega de Saudade’ added a calming tonal class to the overall texture of the piece. Karen Heath’s clarinet part originally scored for oboe in ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ created a great emotional intensity. Furthermore, Gemma’s improvisation in ‘Parce mihi Domine’ was ingenious and extremely suitable to the voices of The Consort of Melbourne.
With a huge range of genres in this program, The New Palm Court Orchestra and The Consort of Melbourne was an absolute testament to the versatility of these musicians, further enhanced by their sublime skills in improvisation and solos.
Image supplied.
