Director of Music for the Balmain Sinfonia, Gary Stavrou was awarded an OAM in the 2017 Australia Day awards. The orchestra’s first concert illustrated yet again the calibre of his service to the Sydney music scene. The orchestra performed admirably under his baton in a diverse and artistically challenging programme which featured a broad historic swoop of music from Mozart to Mahler.
Exciting as always was the procuring of a local soloist of high standard to collaborate with Stavrou and the orchestra. This time, much awarded soprano Zoe Drummond demonstrated how effective the choice of a vocalist can be as a soloist in an orchestral concert. As in past concerts, the Balmain Sinfonia did rise to the occasion as a very sympathetic accompanist for the tonal colour of a vocal soloist.
The concert opened with an arrangement of Debussy’s Petite Suite originally composed for piano four hands in 1889. Each of the four movements was realised and performed with admirable clarity and appropriate sense of character.
The opening movement, En Bateau, progressed with a beautifully subtle lilt. Followed by great cheek in the Cortège movement, the suite continued with great contrast. Elegance and poise were evident in the Menuet movement and the final Ballet movement was pleasingly exuberant.
Zoe Drummond then joined the Balmain Sinfonia for the virtuosic Exultate Jubilate K 175 by Mozart. Drummond’s presentation of this work was an expressive delight. It was an accomplished dramatic rendering and the demanding filigree was fluidly delivered over a tight and tasteful orchestral tapestry.
In 1773 the teenage Mozart wrote this work for a castrato singer he was working with on an opera in Milan. The work’s Mozartean sense of drama with difficult passages for the soloist enhance the religious text right through to the famous Alleluia movement to finish.
After interval, Drummond also contributed with her signature emotional presence and penetrating voice to the last movement of Mahler’s Symphony No 4 in G major. It was quite a stunning way with which to conclude the event.
The three movements leading up to this heavenly rendering of the song Das himmlische Leben were delivered with enthusiastic painting of Mahler’s individuality of texture, colour and shape by the orchestra.
Moments of dense orchestration and extremes of register were mostly handled with precise, searching clarity and directness. Climaxes emerged organically and their duration was well controlled.
The second movement of this Mahler symphony was full of intrigue and character, especially due to the flair of concertmaster Alastair Duff-Forbes. His fiddle-like portrayal of a sinister extra-musical pied piper figure on a tuned-up violin was full of dexterity and was an effective caricature.
This programme was a substantial undertaking for the Balmain Sinfonia. It was an incredibly diverse one with which to begin the year’s music making. As always, the large and loyal audience were engaged and appreciative of the efforts.
The concert took place yesterday afternoon at the Italian Forum, 23 Norton Street, Leichhardt.
The orchestra’s next concert on June 10, again at the Italian Forum, will feature violinist Timel Dragoi playing Mozart’s fifth violin concerto. This event will also include Dvorak’s Symphony No 8 and works by Borodin.
Another outstanding review by someone who is both educated and passionate about the performances he reviews. I have often attended the performances Mr Paul Nolan has reviewed and have never been disappointed. I look forward to his future reviews.