Bach, Durante, Mozart, Haydn, Boccherini: Australian Brandenburg Orchestra; Sydney City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney 5.4.2008 (ZT)

C.P.E. Bach: Duet for flute and violin in E minor H598/Wq 140
Durante: Concerto per quartetto No 2 in G Minor; No 1 in F minor
Mozart: Quartet No 3 for flute and strings in C major K285b
Haydn: Divertimento for flute, violin and cello in G major, Hob IV:7
Boccherini: String sextet in D major Op 23 No 5, G458


In comparison with several recent past  performances, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra concert on April 5th was divergent in that no guest artists appeared. The programme presented the orchestra in ‘intimate mode.’ Six pieces of music featured the orchestra's members in various combinations ranging from duets to sextets.  Concerts comprising this kind of intimate programme have been traditionally held in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music concert hall that accommodates around five hundred people. The Sydney Recital Hall Angel Place has provision more than twice that amount of patrons and on this occasion was less than half full.

The music by C.P.E. Bach, Mozart, Joseph Haydn and Boccherini is well known to aficionados; less familiar is the music by Francesco Durante although an enjoyable and worthwhile addition to the evening.

A highlight of the evening was the Mozart Quartet for flute and strings, K 285b. It was a poignant reminder that in both absolute and comparative terms the composer was a genius.  While the digital age of recording offers many sonic delights, nothing can substitute for a good live recital. Having listened to the Mozart K285c many times on recording, I have never been so acutely aware of the subtleties and nuances of the music as on this occasion. The beguiling second movement caters for both plucked and bowed cello notes that in recordings are often obscured by the more dominant sounds of the viola. Although still a balanced, integral part of the music, on Saturday evening cellist Anthea Cottee managed a beautiful discrete line that was almost a solo per se - a victory over what recordings often confuse and invariably escapes the average reproducing equipment.

This type of programme required several changes in furniture and equipment to accommodate the various combinations of musicians. During those periods the time was utilized by musicologist Alan Maddox to distract and entertain the audience. He supplied informative, entertaining and erudite commentary on the music, composers and performers. It may argued that in one sense Alan is a ‘guest artist’ who adds a flavour of variety to the evening’s performance, and has empathy for the adage that less is more.

A good index of enjoyment is the passage of psychological time: this was a rather short recital!

Zane Turner


Back to Top                                                    Cumulative Index Page