Above: Saxophonist Nicholas Russoniello joined Chief Conductor Sarah-Grace Williams and TMO to premiere his new concerto ‘Where the Mountain’.
Met Concert 2 for The Metropolitan Orchestra was titled ‘Carnivals and Adventures’. There was much joy, energy, exploration and sharing of landscapes various during this event.
This concert in the lively acoustic of Marrickville Town Hall was rich in the depiction of atmosphere, and especially in presenting contrasts in physical and emotional landscapes or states.
The large forces assembled more than filled the responsive acoustic in this venue. In a super-reverberant opening to the event, a colourful and festive feel was solidly cemented with the delivery of Dvořák’s Carnival Overture Op 92.
This opening to the event was a bouncy salute to all activity joyous and grand. As in the remainder of the programme to come, large and small gestures, intimate textures and massive walls of sound were heard in undulating juxtaposition. The easy switch between these ends of the sonic spectrum showcased the precision and range of TMO’s voice during this Overture.
Following this strong opening was an exciting new work for saxophone and orchestra- Where the Mountain by Nicholas Russoniello– in a stunning World Premiere performance. The result of being selected by the Australia Council to participate in a project to create new works re-inventing the traditional concerto design, this saxophone virtuoso and composer of considerable ingenuity certainly explored the brief fully.
Not only did this performance with TMO highlight Russoniello’s ability to expand the concerto format, it was a compelling piece of pictorial writing exploring a mountainous landscape. Novel and breathtakingly virtuosic saxophone effects were employed across the three movements for the concerto soloist to present.
A filmic, shifting and deeply emotional piece of writing, this new concerto blended soloist and orchestral timbres intricately.
Chief conductor Sarah-Grace Williams harnessed the forces of the large orchestra and concerto soloist well. Her presentation of this new work allowed freedom of expression for the saxophone when playing bravura type effects or morelyrical moments. The soloist voice well-balanced with the orchestra. Williams guided an exciting dialogue between saxophone and TMO. Fuller tutti moments of description were presented with the composer’s internal layers very cleanly interlocked.
The work also stretched the typical orchestral accompaniment to include vocalisations from the instrumentalists and standing then sitting movements. These were achieved in slick, disciplined sequence by conductor and TMO musicians.
We were constantly amazed with the fluidity of Russoniello’s application of virtuosic modern wind gestures or effect. His saxophone filigree which both highlighted the soloist and blended into the shape and style of the descriptive orchestral canvas so very well.
Above: Saxophonist and composer of ‘Where the Mountain’, Nicholas Russoniello.
This collaboration between orchestra, composer and saxophone was an obvious hit with musicians and audience alike. The challenges in this performance picture of stretching then shrinking the texture were well answered by all instruments. This important addition to the saxophone concerto canon delivered all the feeling and sonic photography indicated in the anthropomorhic movement labels: ‘Mountain watching’, ‘Mountain Weeping’ and ‘Mountain Dance’.
It was a particular thrill to hear after interval both of Grieg’s Peer Gynt suites back to back at this live event. As Andrew Doyle’s detailed programme notes state, this response to the theatre by Grieg have left ‘an indelible mark on the classical music canon’. This interpretation showed us how and why.
TMO’s clear reading of Ibsen’s shifting emotional journey in Peer Gynt tugged at our heartstrings. As led by Sarah-Grace Williams, the intelligent musical finesse and steadfast sustained moods for each movement during this interpretation also pleased our heads.
Also, this conductor’s musical tracing of Ibsen’s tensions of story, character or each new scene was securely and carefully communicated to TMO team. This resulted in playing with tight expressive unisons. The well-known contours and intricacies in these suites were intact and tempi were well chosen. The individual moods and dramatic changes were secure from the outset of each movement and unwavering to the end.
In Suite 1, the well known scenescapes were freshly handled. ‘Morning Mood’ had wonderful stillness, sustained tone colour and seamless blend from TMO. ‘The Death of Ase’ was carved out in a carefully shaped and articulated reading, bringing renewed freshness in its spellbinding, well-paced and placed expression.
Such began the sharing of the well-known music at a very high standard of communicartion, which continued to the end of Suite 2. There was a fitting lilt with expert command of repetition and shape during ‘Anitra’s Dance’. ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ had sufficient grunt and depth of tone without dragging the pace.
Quickly drawn and bold vistas were brought to life from Grieg’s score easily and instantly, sustained and manipulated. Strength across TMO’s sections and an impressive meshing of attack or gesture across the band.
The treatment of ‘Solvieg’s Song’ after much reverberrance was lush and exquisitely voiced. Its tender but full commitment to line made me forget the cold, the continent I am in and the century I have been dropped in.
Such complete transportation through older and brand new music, with and an emphasis on place and emotion was a feature of the concert’s music making from start to exciting finish. Such programming, playing and vivid musical sharing will continue to build a solid fanbase for this busy orchestra.
The Metropolitan Orchestra’s next Met Concert takes place on Sun Aug 20 at Marrickville Town Hall with a World Premiere for sythesizer and orchestra by Heather Shannon, a work by Stephen Lalor and Dvořák’s ‘New World Symphony.
