BY WENDY ZHANG
Spanish Nights
Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Steven Osborne (pianist) and Ludovic Morlot (conductor)
Sydney Opera House, 3 August
Spanish Nights was a true collaboration between pianist Steven Osborne, conductor Ludovic Morlot, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra that used music and sound to inspire imagination and dreams.
The program began with Debussy’s Gigues from Images for Orchestra. Gigues’ original name was Gigues tristes (‘sad gigues’), and the melancholy and subtly of the orchestra reflected the atmosphere in the composer’s intention. The sound of the two harps in the orchestra was particularly beautiful and added to the spirit of the song.
Scottish pianist Steven Osborne then joined Morlot on stage to perform the world premiere of Julian Anderson’s The Imaginary Museum – Piano Concerto. Anderson composed this piece specifically for Osborne, as he tried to make use of the full range of Osborne’s playing styles. The end result was nothing short of astounding. Osborne started the concerto with several tentative B-flat notes; almost as though he was testing the acoustics of the music hall. In the Forest Murmurs section, the piano was joined by brass and percussion instruments, together conjuring an image of a mystical ancient forest through fantastical thickets of sound.
In the next section, A Song Before Dawn, Osborne played the higher register of the keyboard, imitating the sound of a bird. The strings followed, implying the sound of an expansive Australian desert – I closed my eyes, completely immersed in the atmosphere and my own imaginations inspired by the music.
After the interval, Osborne and Morlot returned to the stage to perform Spanish composer Manuel de Falla’s popular piece Nights in the Gardens of Spain. This was the fourth time the SSO performed this piece (first in 1947, and most recently in 2012 with Osborne as soloist). Osborne opened with a steady control of rhythm, and accompanied the tunes introduced by the violas. It is interesting to note that this is not a standard piano concerto, but an orchestral piece in which the solo piano part is elaborate but discreet. Osborne was always in sync with the orchestra, leading at times but never dominating.
The final piece was Debussy’s Iberia from Images for Orchestra. The orchestra’s first movement Along the streets and pathways used a steady pulse through the plucking of the strings, depicting an early Spanish evening when everything is abuzz. The second movement Perfume of the night was slower and quieter – a long and sensual Spanish nocturne, highlighted by the sound of the harps. The morning of a festival day opened with the sound of bells, signalling the start of the day. It grew faster and faster as if to suggest streets filled with life – birds singing and people preparing for a festival day. It was the contrast between day and night, fast and slow, light and dark, noise and silence that highlighted each movement and made this music so interesting and refreshing to hear.
It was a wonderful night of Spanish music, and a solid collaboration between Osborne, Morlot, and the SSO that left me with dreams of the Australian desert; and Spanish gardens, mornings, and nights to remember.
Image supplied. Credit: Daniela Testa.
