Revelations

Bach's universe was the opening gala concert for CIMF 2015. It's not the first concert, residing as it is after the second concert of a series of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas. I found this a hugely refreshing outing. We all love JS - he's central to our conception of the Western musical canon these days and everyone's fave - but this intermingling of his pieces with contemporary works was a revelation. The Bach was a full violin partita (Partita no2 D minor BWV1004; not sure this was expected, but it was welcomed), a trio sonata variously with harpsichord and baroque organ (Trio sonata G major BWV530) and a cantata (Jauchzet Gott BWV51). Intermingled in the program, although tellingly performed from a second stage at the other end of the longish hall, were Steve Reich Vermont Counterpoint, Alister Spence Time is time enough and Kate Moore The Dam (a Beaver Blaze commission). I loved the Bach, of course. I especially noted Rebecca Chan, who did a great job on the lengthy and virtuosic violin partita from a spot in the middle of the hall. The hall was unexpectedly laid out in two long but shallow rows of seating facing each other with a stage at each end, to right and left of the seated audience. Strange, but it worked, allowing quick transitions, varied instrumentation and a differing and more democratic experience of placement. We were right up against the southerly stage, so the Bach was distant and echoey. Interesting. Also noted, if distant, were Rosanne's Hunt's baroque cello and Alex Oomens' apt soprano and the ringing pleasure of Leanne Sullivan's occasional baroque trumpet.

It helps that we were close by, but on the night I was more excited by the contemporary music and this was a reminder to me after lots of recent, relatively earlier music. Contemporary is harder to sell so less common but when it's as good as this, it's exciting and vibrant and intimately expressive of our era (not that Bach and Beethoven have nothing to tell us; good is good, after all). The three works were that. Firstly, Stave Reich Vermont Counterpoint played brilliantly by Claire Edwards. She really was a star of my experience of this concert. Then a duo with Claire and Amy Dickson playing a work by Alister Spence on gongs and marimba and a busy and not overly jazz-influenced soprano sax. Then a finale with Kate Moore's The Dam which was commissioned for this festival. This was played by two ensembles, baroque and contemporary, one at each of the hall, led by Roland Peelman in the centre and Kate at the contemporary end. This was somewhere around minimalism, richly varying rhythms and time signatures beating in and out, regularity amongst change, conversations between eras and tones and colours and localised with William Barton's didj. I'm looking forward to a peek at the score, but suffice to say, lots of mutating counting required. Our experience was influenced by placement, but that's all part of it and it fits. But it's all relative and that's Einstein and the festival's theme.

JS Bach, Kate Moore, Alister Spence and Steve Reich were performed at the CIMF Gala concert entitled Bach's universe. At the south end were Kate Moore (conductor, composer), William Barton (didgeridoo), Amy Dickson (alto, soprano sax), Claire Edwardes (vibes and other percussion), Pete Harden (baritone guitar) and ??? (piano). In the middle were Rebecca Chan (vioin) and Roland Peelman (conductor). At the north end was the Festival Bach Ensemble comprising Alex Oomens (soprano), Leanne Sullivan (trumpet), Matt Greco (violin, director), Annie Gard (violin), Heather Lloyd (viola), Rosanne Hunt (cello) and Anthony Abouhamad (harpsichord, baroque organ, director).

Llewellyn is a big chamber

Sally asked how large was a chamber orchestra. Fair question. The ACO was playing at Llewellyn and there were about 55 players on stage with three basses (I've seen non-chamber orchestras with two) and percussion and harp and the various brass and woodwinds. They even had a conductor for most of the time, with Richard Tognetti just picking up his Guanieri del Gesù for a few feature snippets in the Mahler. And Llewellyn is a very big chamber. Wikipedia suggests 50 or less for a chamber orchestra, so ACO was just pushing the envelope slightly. But they are an interesting outfit, nicely presented (read sexy, "players dressed by Akira Isogawa"), standing and active so presenting an image of churn on stage and fabulously dynamic and integrated. They started with a group of five players with a Sibelius Serenade for violin with Rebecca Chan showing off another expensive violin, a 1714 Guanieri. These instruments are part of the ACO mystique and it's nice to hear them (and they are good investments). It sounded like many violins on record, of course, and interestingly different from the sound of Tognetti's later in the night, but then these are different players, different bows and techniques and tunes and strings, too. Then Sibelius Symphony no.6 in D minor, Op.104, and a longer Mahler Symphony no.4 in G later. I was concentrating poorly but I did notice dynamics. They worked so well as a unit: swells were magically intense; parts moved and were perfectly defined, so the focus moved with precision between instruments. I also noticed players, when not playing, watching others. At least most strings were standing, so the view was of a churning busyness, but this openness to look around spoke to a communal purpose that you could hear in this playing. Towards the end of Mahler, guest soprano Kiera Duffy walked on as a path opened for her between violins (all the world like the parting of seas). I'd noticed her repertoire spanning Handel to Zorn and that interested me. I heard poorly from my distance, missing low notes and most detail, so little to observe here. But we left feeling we'd heard a major performance outfit. There's a urgency and commitment and togetherness here that's impressive and a musical expression that's authentic and unforced. They say they are Australian and international top-shelf and I certainly can't imagine much better. And they are sexy, too.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra was directed by Richard Tognetti (conductor, violin) playing Sibelius Symphony no.6 in D minor, Op.104, and Mahler Symphony no.4 in G. Kiera Duffy (soprano) sang in the Mahler. Rebecca Chan (violin) led an introductory Sibelius Serenade for violin.