Presented by Adelaide International Cello Festival, Elder Hall hosted the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra under the masterful baton of Arvo Volmer, back for the Adelaide International Cello Festival staple Cellissimo featuring four world-class cello soloists performing a well conceived program.
Marko Ylönen opened the show splendidly with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo theme, delivering, on a Matteo Goffriller cello, an ideal balance of orchestral conversational style, liveliness and melancholy; Volmer’s control and delicacy displaying his Russian music expertise.
Li-Wei Qin on a 1780 Joseph Guadagnini cello, gave an extraordinary performance of the magnificent Klātbūtne (“Presence”) composed in 2012 by Pēteris Vasks. The piece in three movements was treacherous, intense, exquisite and deeply moving. Vasks has said of his works, “Most people today no longer possess beliefs, love and ideals. The spiritual dimension has been lost. My intention is to provide food for the soul and this is what I preach in my works.” Mission accomplished Li-Wei Qin and Pēteris Vasks; Klātbūtne was an outstanding festival highlight.
Resplendent in a purple gown, Louise McKay performed the powerful Kai, by Mark-Anthony Turnage. Composed in 1989/90 in memory of cellist Kai Scheffler, the pared-down, unusual orchestration was a piquant platform on which McKay, playing a Jerome Thibouville Lamy cello, delivered fury, beauty and melancholy.
No cello festival would be complete without the pièce de résistance that is the Edward Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor op 85. Pei-Sian Ng rose to the challenge to deliver a stunning rendition of the much-loved piece on a 1764 Giovanni Antonio Marchi cello, finishing to screams of delight and thunderous applause.
Reviewed by Gordon Forester
Venue: Elder Hall, North Terrace, Adelaide
Season: The Adelaide International Cello Festival runs 25 March to 6 April
Duration: 2½ hours
Tickets: $60
Bookings: Adelaide International Cello Festival bookings
Adelaide International Cello Festival
Mark-Anthony Turnage biography
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