Reviewed Friday March 26th 2010
Presented by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Venue: Adelaide Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road
Duration: 2 hours including interval
Season: One more performance Sat. 27 March at 6:30pm
Tickets: Adult $52.90, child 2-14 years $19, concession and groups of 10 or more $47.90
Bookings: BASS at http://www.bass.net.au or 131 246
Renowned violinist, Richard Tognetti AO, performed and conducted Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 (1806) and conducted Antonín Leopold Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 B. 163 (1889) with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Canberra born Tognetti is a composer, as well as violinist and conductor, and is also involved in music education He is the Artistic Director and Leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) and has been for the last two decades During that time he has taken that orchestra to the stage where it considered to be one of the very best and has even had The Times say that “This group must be the best chamber orchestra on earth.”
This was an interesting pairing of a work from the start of the Romantic period and another from near the end of that period. Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was, of course, one of the most important of composers, being the greatest of those that led the way from the Classical Period into the Romantic, expanding compositional techniques and harmonic possibilities and writing with a greater freedom of expression.
Beethoven had a great skill in taking simple thematic ideas, such as the ‘fate knocking’ motif at the start of his fifth symphony, and extending and evolving them into large, complex works. In the violin concerto, a work from his ‘middle period’, he begins the first movement, the Allegro ma non troppo (D major), with the note D, repeated four times on the timpani, then extends this to a long first movement, running about 25 minutes. It stays in familiar territory, moving to the related (sub-dominant) key of G Major for the Larghetto second movement and returning, with no break between movements, to D Major for the well-known Rondo (Allegro) third movement. This work is filled with imaginative ideas, Beethoven gradually adding, changing and reinventing the music as it progresses.
Throughout this piece the playing of the orchestra was stunning, complementing the playing of the soloist beautifully and offering an exciting interpretation of the score. Tognetti’s cadenzas were amazing, exhibiting not only a most impressive technique but also a huge dynamic range, with some whisper quiet passages. His playing is highly expressive and wonderfully fluid. The superb 1743 Guaneri del Gesù violin that he plays no doubt contributes to his marvellous tone and places less restrictions on his playing than other instruments might do.
The first work calls for only a small orchestra but the second work adds two trombones, a bass trombone and a tuba, as well as increasing the size of every other section. This gives the composer greater expressive scope and timbral possibilities.
Czech composer, Dvořák (September 8, 1841 – May 1, 1904), drew on the folk music of his native Bohemia and the sounds of nature in his music. This use of folk music and other references to his homeland make him a Nationalist composer. He was influenced by Tchaikovsky and, even more so, by Johannes Brahms, with whom he became good friends. This symphony is generally considered to be one of his best, along with the seventh and ninth.
There is great warmth in this four movement work, as we find ourselves exploring the Bohemian countryside. Three of the four movements are in G Major, with only the Adagio second movement moving to the related key of C minor and, interestingly, the timpani are also featured in this work. There are a good many solo sections, giving every member of the orchestra a workout and allowing us to see just how good the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra really is, both as individual players and as an ensemble.
Tognetti’s approach to the piece gives it a marvellous clarity, bringing out all of the subtleties in this richly evocative work. The orchestra, under his guidance, conjures up images of forests, farmland, castles, cathedrals, villages, peasants celebrating and much more. There is nothing like a live concert and this was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding.
Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Glam Adelaide Arts Editor.
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