Not the Pantheon

This was just a short concert, inside but not, exposed by a diminutive Pantheon hole-in-the-roof, but the seats were heated and the music was experimental but interesting and well played. Written by one bassist / composer, Ben Drury, and performed by another bassist, Rohan Dasika. This is a formidable pair. Ben is busy around town with experimental music. Rohan is up from Melbourne to play again for the CIMF after time with the Australian Institute of Music and gigs with the MSO. The concert was solo, fairly short (15 mins?), timed for sunset so catching the changing colours of the evening, repeated each evening M-F for this CIMF week. The techniques are unconventional and the bass was prepared - at least I thought I saw balls of blutack on each string at the end of the fingerboard (otherwise it was hidden from my seat). First up was bowing the tailpiece which gave a surprisingly strong tone, accompanied by various sung notes, presumably at composed intervals, from Rohan, then heavy rhythmic bowing above the bridge, then bowing strings high on the neck above the left hand while the left hand is stopping strings into the thumb positions. This probably required the dobs of blutack and gives a strange effect as fingering higher up the fingerboard produces lower tones. All strange, but this is experimental. Rohan did a great job, playing effectively and treating music and environment with respect. Ben's musical sounds merged nicely with the setting. I looked around and all were watching the hole in the roof as the light and clouds changed. I'm not sold on Turrell's work - excellent construction (the perfect water edges and laser-like hole-in-the-roof display the superb construction work) but the structure just seems to borrow its beauty from nature. But it's popular and considered a masterwork and often used for music and has heated seats for listeners, so OK. I liked the music. Well done, Ben and Rohan.

Rohan Dasika (bass) performed a solo work written by Ben Drury (composer) at the Turrell Skyspace at the National Gallery of Australia.

El sistema

I'm blackly amused by the Lonely Planet website saying that "Venezuela ... has a terrible image problem at the moment" given that we are hearing daily news of poverty and food queues and crime. It's good to have an encounter that gives some positive views. This was one. The Simon Bolivar String Quartet gave a Q&A and masterclass session for CIMF2017. First up, the Q&A. Only one member easily spoke English (I guess few of us easily spoke Spanish) and he gave most answers despite a translator from the Embassy. The main theme was on "El sistema" for music education in the Bolivarian republic. This is big! It started in 1973 and has trained 900,000 kids (or was it 900,00 in the current program? it seems a lots for a population of 27m), and it's not just a music program, but seen as promoting social inclusion and for imbuing values: the goal is achievement, the means is harmony and commitment. "El sistema" provides instruments, teachers, daily group practice, for kids from the youngest ages, with influence of Russian and Belgian music education. The SBSQ, a Deustche Grammophon artist, is one outcome.

Then the workshopping. First up, a younger (~age 14) string trio (violin, viola, cello) playing Schubert. Schubert was primarily a song-writer, so think of voice, breathe together and breathe the music, phrase to assist melody, play contrasts in dynamics, hold tension on long notes, match colours as nature does, wide, open vibrato. Then an older (two Year 12 and the tutor) trio (clarinet, piano, cello) playing Brahms. Think as sentences ("where's the verb?"), tension and dynamics, play the long notes, play ideas (this is Brahms) and understand who's leading at any time, a composer never writes the same thing to be played the same (play repetition with changes, louder, softer, etc). Everyone learns from a masterclass, not just those playing. I noticed links to guidance from Bianca for our Baroque performance, around phrasing, dynamics, highlights, recognising the important notes and making them notes work. Worthwhile.

The Simon Bolivar String Quartet comprises Alejandro Carreno and Boris Suarez (violins), Ismel Campos (viola) and Aimon Mata (cello). They gave a Q&A session and masterclass at Ainslie Arts Centre for CIMF 2017.

Potpourri

This was the first concert of the Canberra International Music Festival 2017 and it was a veritable potpourri. No surprise there; it was promoted as the Gala opening : a world of music. obviously touching on a range of performers and styles coming up in the festival. Festivals are not easy things to organise and I was surprised by some of the names: they hadn't been on the brochure, released well before the program. But nothing lost: these were great and fascinating players. First up was Luminescence Chamber Choir with William Barton on didj, a world premiere called Beaver blaze, based on White Australia, the poem by Oodgeroo Noonuccal. The theme of the Festival is Revolution, after all, and this was profound. Then Lisa Moore starting with Bach then through a lithe and flighty Schumann Bird as prophet to end with a modern piece by Rzewski. He was a new name for several I spoke to (me too) but he was also well received by several: my little survey suggested a discerning and adventurous audience. I was particularly taken by Lisa's estimable sense of time: firstly in the firm and resolute Bach then in the delicate, featherweight Bird as prophet. Then my passenger, Alex da Costa and his Strad, played some duos with Roland Peelman. Phenomenal technique, wonderful loud tone. Yes, it's a Strad but you need technique to get that from it. Stunning tone and chops, playing Vitalia, Prokofiev Montagues and Capulets, Tchaikovsky, de Falla. There's a good bit of performance here and prodigious capability and an alluring instrument to boot. Then interval and an Australian premiere from composer Chen Yi, currently at the ANU School of Music, Yangko, played by Alex with Roland and another on Chinese percussion. Interesting to hear Alex doing something outside the mainstream: no surprise that he did it with ease. The Simon Bolivar String Quartet are visitors from Venezuela. They played Shostakovich String quartet no.8 C min op.110 with satisfying intonation and lovely moving instrumental focuses. Again, very well received. And an end with a composition by ex-Canberra now-Brisbane bassist and composer, Robert Davidson, with renowned didgeridoo player, William Barton, Landscape, played by string quartet, guitar, didj and harpsichord. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Robert later in the programs. Then drinks and a celebration of the opening of the festival. As always, CIMF looks fascinating and cleverly themed, let alone its musical capability and profundity.

The CIMF 2017 opening gala concert featured William Barton (didgeridoo), Clive Birch (bass vocal), Luminescence Chamber singers, Alexandre da Costa (violin), Minh Le Hoang (guitar), Lisa Moore (piano), Roland Peelman (piano, harpsichord, percussion) and the Simon Bolivar String Quartet with members Alejandro Carreno and Boris Suarez (violins), Ismel Campos (viola) and Aimon Mata (cello).

Cheap thrills

Maybe not so cheap. This year we are not billeting but I am a driver for the Canberra International Music Festival. First up was an airport collection for Alexandre da Costa. Alex was a Canadian child prodigy violinist and now is a multi-CD (25) Sony artist, multi-award winner, performer with various of the biggest orchestras in the biggest locations and also associate professor at WA's Edith Cowan University. I expected to recognise him easily especially given a violin case, but they are so small (mine is a larger instrument) but we found each other and chatted and I drove him to his hotel. So, the not-so-cheap thrill? The Stradavarius in that diminutive violin case. I'd read he also plays a del Gesu, but he confirmed this was a Strad. I've seen Strads and the like in museums (Met, Ashmolean, perhaps others) but never transported one with its esteemed player. Suffice to say, I drove carefully, for the pickup and his later departure.

Alexandre da Costa (violin) and his Stradavarius Dubois (1667) visited Canberra for CIMF 2017.

Thanks to Wikicommons for the Stradavarius pic