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Brescianello, Rosano, Handel, Heinichen, Porpora: Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer Artistic Director with guest countertenor Andreas Scholl; Sydney Recital Hall, Sydney, 23.2.2007 (ZT)

Brescianello:  Symphony No. 5
Rosano: Stabat Mater in D minor
Handel:   Bel Contento from Flavius, King of the Lombards; Al lampo dell’armi
from Julius Caesar in Egypt; Va tactico from the opera Julius Caesar.
Heinichen: Concerto in F Major
Porpora:  Va per le vane il sangue from the opera The Triumph of Camilla


The ‘historically informed performance’ movement created much controversy, and a lot of enjoyment. It has been an important marketing tool responsible for selling larger volumes of CDs and putting more posteriors on concert hall seats than probably any other initiative since its genesis more than four decades ago. The Artistic Director of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer, understands about marketing and what it takes to fill concert seats. There is a limit to how much audience even the best orchestra can consistently attract, but permutations and combinations of guest performers add a whole new dimension of appeal.  Included in the Orchestra’s January 2008 concerts were theatrical dancer Anna Dego, clarinet player magician Gianluigi Troversi, and L’Arpeggiata with guest director and theorbo player Christina Pluhar.

For the originally planned five February concerts, countertenor Andreas Scholl is the guest artist.  Owing to demand an additional concert is scheduled for Feb. 26 2008.

The first Feb. series concert held on Sat. 23 to a packed house, was particularly significant in that it featured the world premier of a new work by Italian film and television composer Marco Rosano who was present. Entitled Stabat Mater, it utilises countertenor, violin, cello, viola, cello and organ. The result of a five year collaboration between Marco Rosano and Andreas Scholl, it is based on a twelfth century manuscript and written in a baroque style.  One may ask why an important new work would be premiered in Australia rather than Europe? The answer apparently lies in the cultural differences: in Europe there is black and white categorisation into ‘serious’ and ‘entertaining’ music. A contemporary piece of music written in a baroque style cannot be categorised accordingly, and credible European promoters will apparently not ‘entertain’ cross-contamination.

This was an outstanding concert in every sense of the word. Rosano’s Stabat Mater is testimony that although exhaustively pursued in the distant past, the style adapted in the hands of a modern master is every bit as fresh as when it flowed from the pens of the giants of the baroque. The Stabat Mater melodies are beautiful and the harmonies characteristically lush and full. The opening measures of the sixth section contain faint echoes of Handel’s Zadok the Priest. For many, maturation of full appreciation will come with additional exposure; to this end the second of the twelve section composition, O quam tristis, may be savoured on the Andreas Scholl Society website until a commercial recording of the complete work can be accessed.

The generally less-known music by Brescianello and Heinichen, two delightful works very well executed by the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, are a reminder that the shadow of J.S.Bach cast shrouds of obscurity over many of his highly talented contemporaries.

As was to be anticipated, the arias from Handel and Porpora were rendered superbly by a master musician. Aside from Rosana’s Stabat Mater, the evening’s highlight was Handel’s  Va tacito fom Julius Caesar with horn player Darryl Poulsen: a  passionate, vibrant rendering  that will long remain with those fortunate enough to be present.

Enjoyable as the only encore was- The Water is Wide with harpsichord accompaniment- theatrically the concert would have ideally ended with Va tactico; you cannot improve on perfection.

Zane Turner


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