BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Bach!
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with Richard Tognetti (conductor, director and violin) and Satu Vanska (violin)
Federation Concert Hall, 2 September
I must admit, I have been looking forward to this concert for some time. Bach and Haydn? To me, a treat! I take my seat in the Federation Concert Hall, hungrily awaiting the music to come (and unfortunately witnessing it from behind an orange bird’s nest of hair, itself paying a great homage to the ’80s style era). Nevertheless, we begin with the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, BWV1048. Eleven musicians stand around the harpsichord, including our soloists Tognetti and Vanska. After the odd percussive twang from a lower string, we’re off to a unified start. Though the musicians move tightly together, they are not limited in expression – rather, they collectively seem to adopt the theatrical nature of Tognetti. In the Adagio (Cadenza), a quiet harpsichord opens while long notes from Tognetti shine through – vibrato is all but absent as we relish the tone alone. He makes space for the harpsichord and when other musicians join him, they enter just as gently. Until: Bam! We are right into the Allegro and with a full energy – though it must be stated that some delicacy is lost as the work would have been better suited to a different venue (or even enjoyed through a broadcast).
More Bach follows, though this time arranged by Tognetti – we hear 14 canons on the first eight fundamental notes of the Goldberg Variations, BWV1087. We have a string quartet, which includes our two stars of the night, and a piano. To begin the Canon simplex, cello and piano pluck away, one note at a time, and in unison – gradually adding layers of harmony between them. Viola is next, then all upper strings play long notes as a light feature. As the movements progress, the sound is one that feels square, stripped back, and metronomic – always seeming to build on feelings just left behind. Again, we hear little-to-no vibrato and the work seems more about showcasing texture than virtuosity (though there’s plenty of that found within every note from this outstanding group of players).
A brief break from Bach brings us to the Peteris Vasks work Vox amoris – fantasy for violin and string orchestra. The composer wrote this ‘love story’ for Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, who gave its premiere in 2009. Sticking out in an otherwise conservative program, I had not anticipated this would be a highlight of the night. I must also admit that in learning it was a love song, I had expectations of sentimentality and whimsy. But this work is far deeper, and Tognetti as a soloist (Vanska taking the concertmaster’s seat) takes us on a gentle and enlightening journey. This love is not about frivolity – the composer shows us that love can sometimes be a minor resolve (or no resolve at all). I am so drawn into the intensity of the work that I am unaware when the string orchestra dies away and allows Tognetti to lead us into a solo – yet, I am jolted when they come back in, proving I am more swept into the piece than I am aware. As the piece moves on, Tognetti conducts an entry with his bow – strings as haunting as a voice. Tognetti himself comes to a quiet and quivering end – I feel as though perhaps I understand. This work is truly a masterpiece and an unexpected standout within the program.
And then, Bach returns – though the Vasks makes the earlier numbers seem like a lifetime ago. We now hear Vanska shine alongside Tognetti for this Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWC1043. So far, it has been very much Tognetti’s night. However, Vanska finally gets her chance as she opens us into the minor Vivace, and we are now able to spend a moment comparing their raw tones. Their musical approaches are so similar – whether this is coincidence or a conscious decision, it pushes the performance to a superior level. They both play on stunning instruments – Vanska a 1728/29 Stradivarius; Tognetti a 1743 Guarneri del Gesu. At times I can’t distinguish between them, though it slowly becomes apparent that where Vanska’s tone is more hollow, his is bright. And becoming aware of this also reveals their musical natures, here – Vanska’s more serious, Tognetti’s more romantic. In the Lento, her brow crumples under the slow weight of the minor movement; his brow is raises itself theatrically in the same moments. Dark and light, each manifesting in subtle ways. The third movement is structurally satisfying and a great success, leading us into a much needed interval to digest the magnificent performance before we return to hear Haydn.
I confess: I am a little biased toward Haydn’s London symphony. You might be too, if you were one of the many to attend the 2014 Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp. After experiencing this work live, surrounded by friends and the raw energy of youth, my expectations are high for the TSO’s follow-up event. And it completely wins me over. Tognetti conducts a small orchestra – rather than holding a baton and giving solid direction, he appears simply to express his excitement. The orchestra is highly responsive – and as such, the work is a mountain of fun.
The first movement presents us with simple games between louds and softs – whimsical and dramatised, I feel as though I’m ‘in’ on Haydn’s little jokes. The second movement exudes class and grace – but just a little bit too perfectly to take seriously. Tognetti is smiling, and it’s infectious throughout the orchestra and audience alike. The third movement dances away and leans into phrases without restraint or forgiveness. This is a work conducted with no apology – it is simply being. The final movement is a speedy one, and the orchestra excels with Tognetti’s heavy musical mood swings. It leaves the audience in delight, with long applauds and wolf-whistles sending us into the evening.
Image credit: Simon van Boxtel.
