Balmain Sinfonia @ Macquarie Theatre

Stavrou
Balmain Sinfonia Conductor Gary Stavrou speaking to the audience with the brilliant violinist Susie Park and members of the orchestra in the background. Pics by Geoff Sirmai

Throughout 2014, The Balmain Sinfonia has presented concerts featuring collaborations with fine soloists. Its programmes surround the collaborative work with landmark compositions of the orchestral genre. These works have been challenging and substantial and have exploited the orchestra’s ability to convey drama and capture shifts in mood or character.

This final concert for the year was no exception. A near–capacity crowd was assembled in the Macquarie Theatre at Macquarie University for the single performance of this programme on December 7. The large crowd can be said to have been due to the orchestra’s growing membership, its posting out of newsletters, a friendly in-concert rapport with fans and continued provision of a significant soloist playing a well-known work.

There is not enough that can be said in praise of Susie Park’s performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto. Conductor Gary Stavrou and orchestra were solid support as fireworks emanated from Park’s instrument. Members of the large crowd shouted out their approval for Susie Park’ energetic and committed performance.

Focused and intense from the start of the large work to finish, Park’s interpretation was exciting and eloquent. Keen in tempo and fearless in execution, this was a powerhouse performance. It was real edge-of-the-seat listening which is a rare treat.

Park’s playing of the Brahms alternated with knife-edge precision between chordal exclamations, fluid bravura and exquisitely measured moments of cantabile expression. The agility and variety of colour shown in the cadenza to the first moment alone was enough to brand this as a significant version of Brahms’ blockbuster concerto.

It is not a stretch to comprehend why Susie Park’s natural performance flair, musicianship and technical armoury has won her a swag of awards and accolades both in Australia and overseas. The Macquarie Theatre swelled with pride at hearing this Australian performer and the Balmain Sinfonia attack such a challenging Romantic period work. Park’s solo Bach encore, the Andante from Sonata No 2 in A minor, was a mesmerising and sustained exploration of layered violin polyphony.

The orchestral works framing this concert’s programmed concerto were both from the nineteenth century. The opening, the ‘Ruy Blas’ concert overture by Mendelssohn featured orchestral contrasts between solemn brass chordal sequences and more flighty string motives. These well emphasised contrasts suggested themes in Victor Hugo’s play about courtly masquerade. The brass section of the orchestra was well showcased in this work.

The Balmain Sinfonia also presented Dvorak’s substantial Symphony no 6 after interval. Rich in local Czech musical borrowings, its interpretation once more displayed the versatility of this orchestra to convey highly characterised works of art, especially from the nineteenth century. Climaxes in Dvorak’s structure were satisfying for the audience.

This year has definitely shown the Balmain Sinfonia, Orchestra in Residence at Macquarie University, to be a hard-working musical group. The orchestra’s ability to reach out and attract large audiences in the busy Sydney arts environment is commendable. So too is its ability to network with and perform alongside successful current soloists who have a connection to Sydney. The 2015 season is to be anticipated with much interest.

For more about Balmain Sinfonia, visit http://balmainsinfonia.com