The well-received fourth TMO concert in its 2014 Met Series once again showcased a guest performance as well as substantial works for full orchestra alone. As throughout this year, the concert took place in the expansive environment of the Eugene Goosens hall. For the busy TMO, 2014 still contains a family concert of ‘Peter and the Wolf’, another Met Series concert and a week-long music cruise to conclude the year.

Met Concert #4 saw the orchestra joined by award-winning chamber music group, The Lyrebird Trio. This group comprises Queensland Conservatorium of Music graduates Glenn Christiansen (violin), Simon Cobcroft (cello) and Angela Turner (piano).This piano trio has enjoyed global success, and was a very welcome addition to this Met Concert solo spot. In this concert they brought us their communicative prowess and also Beethoven’s elegant Opus 56 ‘Triple Concerto’.

The Lyrebird Trio’s individual instruments conversed eloquently and with energy in various moments of Beethoven’s thematic development, filigree and expression. Stable support from the TMO led to many well balanced moments. The TMO’s tutti sections in the concerto structure were suitably full-bodied and exciting.

The textures created by the trio with orchestra led to much variety of colour within this work. From an early point, the often prominent and often high-register cello lines at the hands of Simon Cobcroft sung beautifully. Turner’s piano lines in the Largo second movement were exquisite, as were Christiansen’s restrained violin melodies intertwined with the cello. The work’s final polonaise movement was joyous.

This concert began with a swift and crisp version of Mozart’s opera overture to ‘Il Nozze di Figaro’. It was a familiar piece to preface the night’s playing, with anticipation of drama and circumstance contained within the playing. Due to the programming of the Triple Concerto in the concert’s centre the audience was actually treated to a chronological sweep through the music of three major composers. We had the chance to witness the TMO orchestra grow and perform works with increasingly larger formats and emotional intensities in line with musical history and function.

Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, Op 88 occupied the complete second half with its four movement structure. A highlight of the entire symphony was some effective work by the TMO brass. Many moods and signposts for musical direction rely on decent delivery from this part of the orchestra, and we were not disappointed in this area.

Though much of this symphony contains full orchestral playing, loud fanfares and large climaxes, the orchestra supplied a delicately serene, controlled contrast for the Adagio pastorale. The waltz-scherzo was also a welcome movement with lots of character.

This TMO Met Series concert once again presented the audience a range of musical styles, a high standard of soloists and exposure to a major symphonic work. This local orchestra continues to develop great diversity, interpretative excellence and gutsy performance skills to make them attractive to a wide range of listeners.

For more about The Metropolitan Orchestra, visit http://www.metorchestra.com.au