Above: Playing Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet: Peter Clark and  Julia Russoniello, violins, Nicole van Bruggen, basset clarinet, Simon Oswell, viola, Daniel Yeadon, cello. Photo credit: Teniola Komolafe.  Featured image: Nicole van Bruggen played clarinet and basset clarinet in chamber works by Hummel and Mozart. Photo credit : Robert Catto.

Austalian Romantic & Classical Orchestra has been presenting full orchestral or chamber music concerts alongside their signature ‘Voyage of Musical Discovery’ educational discussions for ten years now.

This anniversary year’s first concert tour featured a chamber music programme. Loved and less-well known works for three, four and five instruments by Mozart, Schubert and Hummel were heard in Sydney as well as six regional and metropolitan locations.

As we have come to treasure from ARCO’s programming, this concert introduced us to  a less-often heard work or composer. In ths programme, it was a dynamic chamber work from Johann Nepomuk Hummel.

Hummel’s Clarinet Quartet in E flat major S.78 began the exploration of what was in vogue in late eighteenth century to early nineteenth century Vienna. This work was played with keen attention to nuance and intricate gesturing. The dramatic trajectory of all movements and delivery of Hummel’s very individual voice in the milieu was effectively outlined.

Above: The ensemble plays the Hummel Clarinet Quartet: (l-r) Simon Oswell, Daniel Yeadon, Nicole van Bruggen. Photo credit: Teniola Komolafe.

The fine ensemble blend and communication between ensemble members in this opening work and the works to follow was a pleasing feature of this concert. For ARCO fans, both new and established, the take-home here was a new chamber work with exciting twists and turns from the Esterhazy Court composer.

The clarinet developed during Mozart’s lifetime was an instrument very much in vogue in  Vienna and surrounds. Hummel’s inclusion of the inimitable tone of this instrument celebrated the chance for new colorisation in chamber music and a new wind character in any ensemble line-up.

ARCO’s players assembled for the concert exploited this combination as well as  Hummel’s keen use of surprise, slow build to climaxes and effective articulation. There was an expert tracing of the shapes, gestures and repetitions on offer during all four movements from this composer.

Above: Violist Simon Oswell . Photo credit : Teniola Komolafe.

This programe’s celebration of the popular clarinet, this time the basset clarinet, continued  after interval with the loved Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A major, K581.

Tempo choices were very fitting throughout this work. They made the well-known movements speak with clear personality for the wind soloist and the strings.  Nicole van Bruggen’s basset line bubbled over the registers with beautiful agility. The opening movement was imbued with tremendous warmth. The solo line for clarinet emerged over the string tapestry in its second movement song with impressive restraint and seamless rendering of the filigree in conversation with the strings.

I was particularly touched anew by the expressive, reverent treatment of the variations in the final movement. There was plenty of space in the delivery. Simon Oswell’s viola line in the minore variation was particulary plaintive and rang out above the musical fabric. There was efficient and exciting interplay or conversation between Peter Clark and Julia Russoniello’s violin lines in this and all movements.

The middle work in the programme was a fragment from an unfinished work by another dramatic and lyrical master, Schubert. These gifts were obviously well entrenched even in the 19 year old composer, who began his Allegor to the String Trio in B flat major, D 471 in 1816.

Music sharing amongst friends or in intimate, friendly spaces for small gatherings was very much in vogue at the start of Schubert’s career.  This movement for string trio was presented with a host of shifting colours and sentiment from the smooth intertwining of the violin, viola and Daniel Yeadon’s supportive, reverberant cello line.

Peter Clark’s delivery of the melody above the solid viola and cello sound here soared in clear, even voice. There were HIP portamento effects included and a good forward momentum to the phrasing, which made us wish this was not an unfinished chamber work.

The next concert tour for Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra starts on May 31st. with works for ensemble by Louise Farrenc and Beethoven.