Classic Melbourne
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Calendar
    • Terms and conditions
    • Apply to post your events
    • Post Your Event
  • Newsletter Signup
  • About
  • Contact
Classic Melbourne
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Calendar
    • Terms and conditions
    • Apply to post your events
    • Post Your Event
  • Newsletter Signup
  • About
  • Contact

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra plays Ravel

by Glenn Riddle 24th September, 2017
by Glenn Riddle 24th September, 2017

On Thursday night, youthful conductor André de Ridder strode to the Hamer Hall platform sans baton to open what was to be a most interesting program with Mozart’s Symphony No 34 in C major. A three-movement work composed when the Salzburger was just 24, it is an optimistically ebullient and festive work and the MSO gave a polished reading that augured well for the rest of the program. An appropriately reduced-sized orchestra allowed for absolute clarity of texture to reign and the pitch-perfect winds were able to project effortlessly. Strings offered tastefully discreet vibrato, perfectly embodying the restrained elegance of the opening two movements. Unusually the second movement is scored for strings alone, with just a dash of bassoon thrown in for good measure. Unalloyed joyous exuberance reigned supreme in the tarantella-like finale as well-synchronized orchestral forces, playing at breakneck speed, revelled in the joie de vivre of youthful Mozart.

Then followed the Melbourne premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Mannequin, a co-commission by the MSO in conjunction with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Orchestra and the Southbank Centre in London. Seemingly based on an E.T.A. Hoffman novella it is a largely gestural work where short motifs drift in and out somewhat colouristically. Conceived for much larger orchestral forces than the Mozart, it employs no less than 14 brass players, a battery of percussion, celeste, piano and harp as well as the normal large complement of strings and winds. Now leading with baton, de Ridder delivered an incisive reading of this work, one that perhaps merits further hearing.

It was for the second half of the program however that attracted most of the sizeable audience to Hamer Hall. French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet was guest soloist in Ravel’s jazz-inspired Piano Concerto in G. Tempi were brisk, yet never with any loss of clarity, as Bavouzet clearly revelled in the joy of this concise three movement canvas. With eyes firmly fixed on the orchestra, the soloist ensured unanimity of purpose in the opening stanza, which opens (uniquely?) with a whip crack. After some delightfully silky glissandi up and down the keyboard Bavouzet then brought a quasi-improvised playfulness to the Spanish-hued second subject thereafter imbuing his reading with enormous colour and clarity, never shying away however from some of the score’s more percussive moments.

The first movement’s cadenza was notable for its shimmering trills before unleashing the syncopated rhythmic impetus of the closing paragraph. The central slow movement was perhaps more flowing than one usually hears, yet it lost none of its incandescent radiance as Bavouzet explored its nuanced harmonic palette and long-arching melodies with painstaking care. The final romp of a finale exuded wit and charm, driving rhythms prevailing throughout with the pianist’s touch ranging from utmost delicacy to the incisive precision of the syncopated staccato chords. Bavouzet clearly revelled in the joy of playing this popular concerto with an in-form MSO. His encore – Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau, more typically French impressionist fare – was enchantingly iridescent. One wished for more.

Ravel’s La Valse, originally conceived not surprisingly as a ballet, first found fame as a concert work, immediately proving popular after its initial performances in 1920. A veritable showpiece for orchestra, it has been subsequently choreographed to great success by the likes of Bronislava Nijinska, George Balanchine and Frederick Ashton. Ravel had long before 1920 written of his desire to write something that might be a sort of homage to Johann Strauss. After a long gestation period, during which the work was entitled Wien, it eventually emerged into what Ravel himself described as “a sort of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz”, a vision of “fantastic and fatal whirling”. Almost an impressionistic Concerto for Orchestra, this work found the Melbourne in top form tonight, once again justifying their deserved reputation as one of our cultural icons, a much-loved, indeed essential part of Melbourne’s artistic fabric. The music itself may well have conjured up sonic images of an imperial European court circa 1855, but Hamer Hall was the place to be last Thursday night. Bravo MSO.

0
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Glenn Riddle

previous post
Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra: Northern Reflections
next post
Great Moments Of Song   

Events Calendar

Loading view.
  • July 2022

Calendar of Events

M Mon

T Tue

W Wed

T Thu

F Fri

S Sat

S Sun

1 event, 27

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Affinity Quartet – Through the Looking Glass

June 27 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Affinity Quartet – Through the Looking Glass

The next generation of Australia’s chamber music stars. Program Caroline Shaw Entr’acte Joseph Haydn String Quartet Op.76/4 ‘Sunrise’ Béla Bartók String…

$40 – $50

1 event, 28

7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Great Performers Series: Diana Doherty & Bernadette Harvey

June 28 @ 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Great Performers Series: Diana Doherty & Bernadette Harvey

A commanding, trailblazing oboist at the top of her musical game. In this concert, Diana Doherty unites with pianist Bernadette Harvey…

$49 – $115

0 events, 29

1 event, 30

7:30 pm - 9:45 pm Recurring

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Ninth

June 30 @ 7:30 pm - 9:45 pm Recurring

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Ninth

Xian Zhang, the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC Orchestra, joins forces with the MSO and…

$64 – $119

1 event, 1

7:30 pm - 9:45 pm Recurring

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Ninth

July 1 @ 7:30 pm - 9:45 pm Recurring

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Ninth

Xian Zhang, the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC Orchestra, joins forces with the MSO and…

$64 – $119

1 event, 2

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Melbourne Bach Choir: A Concert for Peace

July 2 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Melbourne Bach Choir: A Concert for Peace

lMelbourne Bach Chamber Choir & Orchestra, organ and soloists, conducted by Rick Prakhoff A programme of works on the theme of…

$25 – $40

0 events, 3

1 event, 4

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Duo Eclettico – From the Forest and Seas

July 4 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Duo Eclettico – From the Forest and Seas

About Duo Eclettico Award-winning Duo Eclettico explore the wealth of repertoire available for their unique combination of instruments – saxophone and…

$40 – $50

1 event, 5

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Evolution of the Piano

July 5 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Evolution of the Piano

Tracing the piano’s metamorphosis through time. About the artists Stephanie McCallum has become renowned for a pianistic practice based on refined…

$40 – $50

1 event, 6

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Arcadia Winds – Destiny

July 6 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Arcadia Winds – Destiny

Unrivaled energy and spontaneity inspired by the notion of destiny. About Arcadia Winds Arcadia Winds are trailblazers for Australian wind music,…

$30 – $37

1 event, 7

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Kristian Chong & Friends – The Brahms’ Sonatas with Timo Veikko Valve

July 7 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Kristian Chong & Friends – The Brahms’ Sonatas with Timo Veikko Valve

From brooding to vibrant with Brahms’s sonatas for cello and piano. About Kristian Chong & Friends Kristian Chong and Friends is…

$40 – $50

0 events, 8

0 events, 9

0 events, 10

0 events, 11

1 event, 12

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Parlour – Women’s Voices

July 12 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Parlour – Women’s Voices

A uniquely moving experience in celebration of women. About the artists The Parlour focuses on the sung storytelling of Art Song…

$30 – $37

0 events, 13

0 events, 14

0 events, 15

0 events, 16

0 events, 17

0 events, 18

0 events, 19

0 events, 20

0 events, 21

0 events, 22

0 events, 23

0 events, 24

0 events, 25

0 events, 26

0 events, 27

0 events, 28

0 events, 29

0 events, 30

0 events, 31

June 27
June 27 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Affinity Quartet – Through the Looking Glass

June 28
June 28 @ 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Great Performers Series: Diana Doherty & Bernadette Harvey

  • There are no events on this day.
June 30
June 30 @ 7:30 pm - 9:45 pm Recurring

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Ninth

July 1
July 1 @ 7:30 pm - 9:45 pm Recurring

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Ninth

July 2
July 2 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Melbourne Bach Choir: A Concert for Peace

  • There are no events on this day.
July 4
July 4 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Duo Eclettico – From the Forest and Seas

July 5
July 5 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Evolution of the Piano

July 6
July 6 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Arcadia Winds – Destiny

July 7
July 7 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Kristian Chong & Friends – The Brahms’ Sonatas with Timo Veikko Valve

July 12
July 12 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Parlour – Women’s Voices

July 7
July 7 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Kristian Chong & Friends – The Brahms’ Sonatas with Timo Veikko Valve

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
July 12
July 12 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Parlour – Women’s Voices

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
View Calendar

Classic Melbourne’s reviews policy

audio
Our point of differenceby Editor Suzanne Yanko

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Follow us on Facebook

Classic Melbourne

Melbourne Arts Centre

Melbourne Arts Centre

Melbourne Recital Centre

Melbourne Recital Centre

Introducing Classic Melbourne

audio
Speech at launch by Conductor Andrew Wailes

Your browser does not support the audio element.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

@2019 - All Right Reserved.

Read alsox

Opera Australia: Eugene Onegin

18th April, 2014

ACO: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio

4th December, 2017

MCO: Rococo Cello

10th March, 2017