Latest

Music Review: Russian Dreams

Presented by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Hump day with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and super-conductor Arvo Volmer has never been so romantic (musically speaking). The first Composers in Focus concert of the year, Russian Dreams put the spotlight on composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

UnknownPresented by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

Hump day with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and super-conductor Arvo Volmer has never been so romantic (musically speaking). The first Composers in Focus concert of the year, Russian Dreams put the spotlight on composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Under the informative and charming tutorial of music don Richard Chew, who spoke on musical context and helpful listening hints, the Russian dreaming commenced with Polonaise from Tchaikovsky’s fifth opera, Eugene Onegin, op. 24, composed 1879. Quickly transforming the Adelaide Town Hall, a similar vintage (opened in 1866), into a Romanticist ballroom, the dance opens the opera’s third act in which Onegin (attending a ball), re-meets the now-wife of the Prince and wishes he’d hooked up with her when he had the chance, way back in act one. Lessons there for everyone. As Chew promised, it “glittered with imperial bombast”.

Volmer had an early split-second wrangle with the microphone stand, but pulled no sleight of hand for the Introduction to Act 1 of Tchaikovsky’s tenth and penultimate opera, The Queen of Spades, op. 68. The tale focuses on protagonist Herman and his gambling problems, who, it turns out (spoiler alert), is unlucky in love and at cards. The orchestral introduction, heralding a sad demise, was splendid; pure romance, dramatic Russian style.

Swoon-worthy Ike See, previously in the guise of Associate Concertmaster, donned a perhaps strategically themed valentine-red-trimmed white-shirt to take on the solo role for Rimsky-Korsakov’s Fantasia on two Russian Themes, op.33. Virtuous cadenzas contrasted tranquil and lively thematic development set against the highlights of Mitchell Berick’s sweet clarinet solos, all helping make this an audience favourite.

In only the second ever performance by the ASO of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 1, “Winter Daydreams”, op.13 (the first and last, in 1984), the four movements took us on a romantic journey of dreamlike and nightmarish discovery. Chew explained this was Tchaikovsky’s “long suffering symphony”, and resulted in him never again composing at night.

The piece began as promised; a “subtle, beautiful work”. Then, quite out of nowhere, someone out of sight, dropped a meat clever, and was promptly removed by some Russian guards, taken out the back and shot in time with the fourth movement cymbals.*

The performance continued as if nothing had happened. The awesome brass and woodwind sections impressively displayed why the piece, with more than it’s fair share of drama, grace and atmosphere, was a perfect ending to this story of romance (though not why it has only been played twice).

The ASO and Volmer succeeded in taking us to Russia, with love. The concert was met enthusiastically by the audience, which included a federation of actual Russians in attendance. Ike See and Arvo Volmer were presented with red roses, one of which the latter gave to guest concertmaster, Elizabeth Layton. Who said romance was dead?

*The sound of a heavy object being dropped definitely happened, but the rest may be artistic license.

Reviewed by Gordon Forester

Venue: Adelaide Town Hall, King William Street, Adelaide

Season: 09 April 2014
Duration: 110 minutes
Tickets: $20 – $109

 

More News

To Top