BY SYLVIE WOODS, LEAD WRITER (NSW)
The Chamber Project
Soultrap Bar, Surry Hills, 10 June
I descend a flight of dimly lit stairs to a basement of lugubrious hues.
The low-lit, bare-brick crypt is thick with people mostly still in their winter coats. Some are gabbing in line at the bar, others are fixed in front of whiskey highballs. A few attendees are tucked into dark corners by the door.
Soultrap Bar in Surry Hills is not the kind of auditorium where eminent string players Nathan Greentree, Ike See, Caroline Hopson and Heather Lindsay would typically perform.
Nor is it the sort of place I’ve ever experienced chamber music. But I am totally in my comfort zone, and proceed to Instagram someone else’s fairy-floss cocktail.
Above the gnash of knives and forks, clatter of ice in cocktail shakers, and hushed conversation, the quartet rose to the unusual occasion with an engaging program: a contrast of upbeat, fiery, and rhythmic (Nordic folk music arranged by the Danish String Quartet), and soulful and beauteous (Samuel Barber and Haydn), curated by Evan Streater.
From Glass’ String Quartet No.3, Mishima to the final, high-energy folk tune, the group communicated exceptionally well, and played with feeling. I enjoyed the magnificent tone of Singaporean violinist Ike See, who moved to Australia in 2014 to take up the position of Adelaide Symphony Orchestra associate concertmaster. The quartet expertly managed the melancholic passages of Barber’s exquisite Adagio for Strings, while I expertly managed several different combinations of gin and brandy.
While one particular area of the basement (round the side) had superior acoustics to the rest, the string quartet – and, by extension, chamber music – is still always lovelier in these intimate settings for which it was intended. Such proximity to the four musicians allowed an appreciation for the wonderful rapport between these players.
The performance was a success, firstly because the players were formidable, but also because I loved the choice of venue. The Chamber Project is a taste of another culture we could have around chamber music. It’s not just about the desires of young urbanites who want to do everything under the influence, including listening to classical music; but meeting the needs of people who desire a high-quality, affordable (less than $50, including food and drink) chamber music experience, without the stuffy conventions. This is the sort of access to classical music that our generation ought to have.
See The Chamber Project next month.
Image supplied.
