Sweet return

Back in Canberra. It may not be a big smoke, but checking out what’s on, I realise this is a busy place of arts making. Reading the paper on Saturday, I learn of the Sundays in the Park concert series (held in the Bogong Theatre at Gorman House so not sure of the “park” reference) and a string quartet, Armaster Quartet, are playing the following day. It’s a new name to me, and it turns out to be the first public performance of a new string quartet formed from the Canberra Youth Orchestra and including several touring members of the esteemed Australian Youth Orchestra. There’s a touch of nerves, but this is good music, well performed in intimate surroundings. They played Borodin String Quartet no.2 movts 1&3, Mendelssohn String quartet no.2 A min and Percy Grainger Molly on the shore. To my ears, the Borodin was passed melodic snippets and a lengthier melody and nifty scalar lead-ins, the Mendelssohn was more passionate and chordal and symphonically developed, and the Grainger was evident and folky and very attractive. I felt the Grainger was played with the most gusto and joy and the other with apt concentration and growing confidence. Interestingly, only Emma on cello remained on one instrument: each of the others took parts as first and second violin and viola. They made a point of the Grainer being Toby’s first viola performance. All this mixing of roles was clever and fun and involving. This is a lovely, fresh quartet that I will have pleasure following over time. And what an intriguing name. The Armaster Quartet comprise Alys Rayner (violin, viola), Toby Aan (violin, viola), Mia Stanton (viola, violin) and Emma Rayner (cello).

Bottesini bass

I have the idea that I don’t like unaccompanied strings – strings en masse can strike my ear as shrill - but I thoroughly enjoyed the Limestone Consort the other day. They are just strings; one cello, two basses with violins and violas. There were a few times I found them a little edgy but mostly this was comfortable, nicely intoned, lyrical, and despite a few very popular pieces in the program, I didn’t find it uninteresting. I actually thought it was a really good mix of popular with less common and it was all attractive. Maybe it was the chatty introductions that turned tunes into historical expressions. The Mendelssohn sinfonia (no.7, Dmin) was a pretty straightforward work, but it gets a place in time when you realise he wrote it aged 12 or 13 and doubly so given that he died so young, in his late thirties. But I was really there for the Bottesini. Kyle Daniel was performing a double bass concerto (no.2, Bmin). It’s a starring piece for a bassist. The bass doesn’t get too much chance to feature, but it does here. Kyle played on a bass with solo tuning where the strings are one tone higher than standard. I wonder if it changes the fingering, of if the work is transposed to a different key with standard tuning. I’d heard fellow ANU student, Rohan Dasica, playing this piece several months before. Kyle thought Rohan’s was performed on standard tuning. I guess that means it’s transposed, so played in Amin. If not, fingering and harmonics would be mightily changed. Kyle mentioned Bel Canto in his introduction and this is certainly lyrical playing. It’s also high on the neck, to the harmonics two octaves up. It’s clearly challenging in performance but not at all in listening. This is pretty, nicely phrased, Italian music. Sweet and tuneful and quite unexpected from a double bass. The Consort also played some short works: Andante festivo from Sibelius, Faure’s Pavane and Grieg’s Death of Ase. Also a longer work from Holst, St Paul’s suite. I also noticed the fitting acoustics in All Saints: open and direct, nicely sized for a chamber ensemble and with a gentle but definite reverb. This was a lovely concert with a range of interesting material and that unusual Bottesini double bass piece.

The Limestone Consort were Lauren Davis (violin, leader), Toby Aan, Claire Phillips, Jacqueline Smith, Mia Stanton, Alison Giles (violins), Mitzy Pepper, Elysia Fisher (violas), Clara Teniswood (cello) and Kyle Daniel, Kinga Janiszewski (double basses). Kyle performed the Bottesini concerto.