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Music Review: AdYO – Late Masterpieces

Being the third and final in a series of concerts, the Maestro Series III Late Masterpieces opened with four glorious xylophones which set the scene of what we were to expect.

 

AdYO-Late-MasterpiecesPresented by Adelaide Youth Orchestra
Reviewed 22 September 2013

Firstly, I would like to comment on what a wonderful and fostering organisation the Adelaide Youth Orchestras (AdYO) are, giving students a benchmark of standards at which true musical learning can be explored and cultivated. It is such a fantastic way in which our youth’s lives can be given a founding structure.

Being the third and final in a series of concerts, the Maestro Series III Late Masterpieces simply took my breath away. Held at the iconic Elder Hall, the concert opened to the AdYO’s Percussion Ensemble with a piece called Sculpture in Wood (Rudiger Pawassar, b.1964). Four glorious xylophones brought the crystal clear sounds in small fragments which grew to several instances of fluid music, setting the scene of what we were to expect.

Although from there we treated to a small program change, this made little difference to the result of the concert’s guest performer Joshua Oates, joining the AdYO in a brilliant Oboe Concertino in F Major (Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda, 1801-1886). Whilst Joshua had just had his 21st birthday, he remained focussed and delivered a stunning addition to the sets of Allegro con fuoco, Romanze: Adagio, and Vivace.

The end of the first act brought us three thrilling Miro Pieces being Dog Barking at the Moon, Cat’s Dancing Lesson (Dutch Interior II), and The Nightingale’s Song at Midnight and the Morning Rain ( Richard Meale, 1932-2009), conducted by the calm and confident Keith Crellin OAM. These pieces took me on some amazing visual journeys as the moods of music surrounded the audience.

Finally, once back from the interval the tremendous hall played host to Symphony No 6 in B Minor, Pathethique Op 74 (Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky, 1840-1893) with Adagio – Allegro non troppo, Allegro con grazia, Allegro molto vivace, and lastly Adagio Iamentoso – Andante. Well I can tell you this, dear reader, hearing music like this on the radio or other forms of recordings is nothing like the experience of seeing the instruments in action being hit, blowed, strummed, bowed by these very talented students whom, although all concentrating hard, simply made it look easy. Feeling the vibrations, being part of the loudly applauding concert hall audience… that just cannot be beaten, and to me emphasises why we need to keep going out to these live shows and show our appreciation for the talents of these musical gems.

Reviewed by Brett A Trimboli

Venue: Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, North Terrace.
Season: 22 September 2013
Duration: 120 minutes

 

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