SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

MusicWeb International's Worldwide Concert and Opera Reviews

 Clicking Google advertisements helps keep MusicWeb subscription-free.

Error processing SSI file

Other Links

Editorial Board

  • Editor - Bill Kenny
  • London Editor-Melanie Eskenazi
  • Founder - Len Mullenger

Google Site Search

 


Internet MusicWeb


 

SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL CONCERT  REVIEW
 

Handel’s Fire and Water: Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer Artistic Director and guest director Alfredo Bernardini (baroque oboe). City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney, 6. 9.2008 (ZT)

 Handel: Water Music; Music for Royal Fireworks


On Saturday evening, September 6th, a capacity crowd filled the City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, world class performers,  programme entitled Handel’s Fire and Water. It proved irresistible.

Those even modestly familiar with the programme will probably have felt a little as I did;  the sort of feeling you get when you leave a large familiar department store from an unfamiliar exit, and arrive outside temporarily disorientated. This happened because Guest director and baroque oboist Alfredo Bernardini, elected to integrate the Water Music suites in D and G and change the sequence of movements in the F maj. suite.

Patrons attending live recitals are generally sensitive to the desirability of reserving applause until the end of a suite. On this occasion the brief silence after the La Paix movement was shattered by a thunderous ‘hooray’ from a single voice, followed by tumultuous applause from the entire audience. For theatrics, this was transcended only by the fireworks display at the end of the recital. Fortunately the design of the Recital Hall is such that only a modest but colourful display of fireworks could be accommodated above the stage area.

How does one single out highlights from such splendid performance?  My vote goes to double bass player Kirsty McCahon. I have never before been so aware of the beautiful bass lines in this music. Recorded music does not provide the detail of individual parts that the Brandenburg Orchestra manages to convey in live performance. This was baroque orchestral playing at its best. Anyone who has reservations about the capacity of baroque instruments to make a big sound should listen to the Brandenburg Orchestra in full flight - all twenty eight of them on Saturday evening.

Sadly concertmaster Lucinda Moon will leave the Brandenburg Orchestra at the end of the 2008 season to spend more time with her family. Australian baroque violinist Rachael Beesley will assume her role in 2009.

Zane Turner

Back to Top                                                    Cumulative Index Page