AYO2014/07 (Orch 3)

This was AYO's second weekend of orchestral concerts. What a revelation! I'd attended the first weekend and admired the skills but there were some faults, entirely understandable given these musicians had been pulled together for a short time and were not a regularly performing outfit, and were young and perhaps with some nerves. But what a difference a week makes, at least at this level of intensity. I could close my eyes and follow this music with immense pleasure, and this was my experience throughout the final two concerts. These orchestras had matured markedly in one week, thanks the intensive experience, the committed and obviously popular tutors and the rest. My hats off to the AYO.

The early concert started with the Hopkins Chamber Orchestra under Geoffrey Lancaster performing Mozart Symphony no.31 in D, Paris. Three movements, admirably presented, starting with big chords and devilish flourishes, then classic delicacy and tunefulness, then an unassuming waltz for the second movement, and a final movement of buzzing strings, four time, lighter, with more flourishes and canonic movements. Lovely. Second was a world-premiere, Philip Jameson's Dunsinane. PJ is only 20 and could not attend as he's studying at Yale. Performed by the Bishop Orchestra under Alexandre Bloch. AB introduced this work by saying that Dunsinane is Gaellic for "hill of ants" then talking of his images of tones, woodwinds as crickets, strings as snakes that move slowly and bite. He suggested we use imagination to picture music, especially modern music. The work started with a woodwind rhythm overlaid with a slow strings melody. It seemed to split into two parts, firstly weighty then lighter or more jumpy. AB's "hill of ants" metaphor fits perfectly with Great Birnam wood coming to high Dunsinane Hill. Then to end, Alexander Orchestra under Richard Gill performed Brahms Symphony no.2 in D. This follows last week's performance of Brahms' 4th. RG spoke later to ABCFM saying why this pair was chosen. Every performer should play a Brahms symphony; he was a great musicologist; he was seen in light of Beethoven; he's in the centre of the classical music history and the music camp is performing major works throughout this history. RG's quote that "Until Australia has every child in musical education from Kindergarten to Year 6 we will remain barbarians" was well received. Another interesting quote was when asked why there's no instrumental popular music: "you can learn everything through singing". I wonder if there may be more to consider for each of these quotes, but it's interesting to hear them. But back to Brahms. Interesting to see the basses at the back, with the percussion. There's pastoral here but also mechanical, lullaby and some strangely prominent leading notes that aught my ear in the first movement. Then a more melancholy second movement. I'm enjoying some very responsive and powerful passing swells through the strings and accompanying swaying performers: nice, involved. Then the final movement, livelier, morning-like, looking optimistically forward to a new day. I still feel a little uncomfortable with some Brahms' changes but who am I to question? Then a big ending. This is sounding wonderful, professional, worthy. Most impressed.

The Hopkins Chamber Orchestra under Geoffrey Lancaster performed Mozart Symphony no.31 in D, Paris. The Bishop Orchestra under Alexandre Bloch performed the world premiere of Philip Jameson's Dunsinane. The Alexander Orchestra under Richard Gill performed Brahms Symphony no.2 in D.

AYO2014/6 (Brass)

Brass just sounds so good and I fret that it's not the popular form it once was. Perhaps it's associated with workers and English mills or the Salvos and neither of those are common contemporary experiences, but once heard, much loved, I reckon. There's seems to be a revival around Canberra, too, with Brass-ere and Trumpet Club and others and I just met a young trumpeter at one of the AYO concerts and he was playing in the Hall Brass Band, so maybe it's there but not noticed. Like many worthy and wondrous things that are forgotten in the rush to fame and the fiscal. But the AYO also features Brass so I look forward to the Brass Ensemble concert. I think of brass as pure and sine-toned. I even see it in an oscilloscope view when I process jazz trumpet solos. But classical brass includes horns and they are a fatter and earthier tone, and the accompanying percussion adds this own tonality. So there's more variation than I expect. So what did this concert offer?

Firstly, Shostakovich Festive Overture that reminded me of the Dambusters theme and very little of my expectations of Shostakovich. This was attractive and developed music, majestic and well played. Big and satisfying, indulgent swells and pure tones and sliding trombones. One of my favourites for the night. Then Gabrielli Canzon IX C.190 was much earlier music. Cyclic harmonic movements, even crochets and quavers and dotted notes the closest thing to syncopation. This was performed by just horns with percussion. Then a pop classic, Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Everyone knows and loves this and it's a pleasure to hear live where the lines seem so much more identifiable. Then strangely a seated piece for a large band and timpani, Scott Kinmont Resonances VII. Obviously contemporary. Written in 6/8 wth ostinato lines on higher horns and slow counterpoint and a mood of rejoicing. Next, the movies. James Horner's Braveheart theme. Again, horns and percussion so fatter, less pure toned, more complex structure and distant sounding, like over hills and all mid-tones, no bass. I heard this as a two sides of one character, warrior and pensive family man. The political concept doesn't appeal. Then some seriousness! Wagner's Parsival. Wagnerian, indulgent, involving, sensuous, overly serious and humourless. Isn't this a recurring leitmotiv that we've heard about recently on radio with the Ring Cycle broadcasts? Then a fascinating one. Stockhausen From the seven days. Lots of brass spread across a large stage, lights dimmed, conductor with hands behind his back, drones, swells, slow crescendoes with rising lights, then falling notes, then conductor raises arm to bring all to an end. I found it intriguing and immersive. My guess is that every musician had one or two notes to play, to form various consonant and otherwise harmonies, and they played at will, so a touch of improvisation and uncertainty. And to finish, Wagner again, Prelude from Die Meistersinger. I preferred this one. Massive and satisfying and a memorable melody. Then a latin for an encore. Hot playing if not quite authentic latin bravura, but entertaining and well received. Such a wonderful sound and a great mix of musics; everyone left with broad smiles on their faces.

Too many names to list, but the AYO Brass ensemble performed at Llewellyn Hall as part of the AYO National Music Camp 2014.

AYO2014/5 (Comp)

This was a short one, the AYO Composers Concert performance. AYO includes a range of music roles - management, staging, writing, composition, as well as performance. The composition performance featured four young composers and their work is performed by the older tutors, so this is quite a different beast. The first work was Henry Sdraulig's Beyond viridescence : four scenes for chamber orchestra. This was the only piece with separate movements although I'm not sure I noticed four. Starting with bass drums and oboe melody, this is tonal, impressionistic, spare, mystical with crescendos and snare and tuba climax. About 10 minutes. Second was Lachlan Hughes' Diaphony. The title suggests the sounds: contemporary, violin squeaks and short tones spattered against woodwind colours and crescendos. Introduced by the composer as textures and variations in density. The conductor was marking time in 3 but not obvious to my ear. I was interested in the title of the third piece, Samuel Smith's "his calm is made of resignation" for I feel that at the moment for the state of the world and Australia, but this was more inner-facing than so obviously socio-political. Introduced as responding to a book that was "anxious almost delirious", of opposing sound worlds in conflict. The conductor was marking 4 but again I struggled for a beat amongst slides and crescendoes and palettes of sound. Fourth was CJ's mate, Sally Greenaway and I found this a relief after soundscapes and colours. Sally introduced the work as from a poem, featuring Elk antlers. Well, I'll be! Not in my experience, but the music was. She'd sought four notes that supported an interesting dissonance and found D7 (b9 #5). It started pensive with ineluctably rich harmonies, an obvious feeling of time, some lovely development that your could build a story on. This was cinematic, broadminded and with a view to the world, more traditional but not untesting, rich with harmonies and querying with development. Nice one, Sally. I found this concert was a raft of three impressionistic, personal, inner-facing compositions with one outgoing one. Four wonderful works, all worthy and interesting. Sally's was obviously my favourite, but that's me, on the day. Congrats to all. And thanks to the two chamber orchestras of professionals who performed the works under Nicholas Vines (conductor).

A jazz interlude

I left AYO for Wayne Kelly at Smiths, a short walk on a very hot night and at least some jazz for this blog. Wayne is one of our best local pianists and the crew was out, so this was a social event as well as a musical one. He's recording an album on the weekend and this was part of the warm-up. Old Canberra and School of Music boy, Brendan Clarke, was down from Sydney and Mark Sutton was sitting in on drums. It was as expected although the were some surprises for Mark and audience member Mike Price with renditions of some of their compositions. Both were good. Mark's was Woden Tower, a capable tune, which always surprises me from a drummer. I was particularly taken by Mike's tune, Young guns, with a contorted, jerky head leading to solo space for young guns and others. They played several of Wayne's originals - Shanghai taxi driver, Mr Hank Jones, others - and a few standards. Brendan introduced Sophisticated lady with an obtuse sole that just hinted at the descending chromatic line. He was rock-solid throughout: big, softly toned but firm, constant and strong, playing inventive lines crossing strings with very independent fingers; just a touch of very mobile bowing and some excellent reading. A master, Mark, too. he was not outgoing on the night, but when called for solos, especially on his own tune late in the night, let so on some delicious fills and falling rolls with ready certainty. There's fingers in his playing, too. load and firm sticking controlled with delicate fingerwork. I thought of Wayne's fingers, too. His style moves through bop and modern and contemporary, chordal or single notes or runs, but always through cupped hands, left and right, moving up and down the keyboard, deceptively easily dropping on consonance or dissonance or melody or chords. Good players make it seem easy, but it's not, even after though mythical 10,000 hours of practice. Hot playing and a social event for the jazz community. Some of out best playing for some others of our best. Nice night. Wayne Kelly (piano) led a trio with Brendan Clarke (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums) at Smiths.