It was a picture perfect cocktail hour at ACO on the Pier yesterday. With a sold out house, the followers and enthusiasts poured into the auditorium to see the Australian Haydn Ensemble perform their August classical chamber concert offering. Titled “Divine Bohemians”, the program featured two neglected Bohemian (or near Bohemian) composers, sandwiched between Haydn and Beethoven. The selection was perfectly curated, lightly leaping from one work to the next with not a dull moment.
Artistic Director Skye McIntosh appeared, looking very svelte, introducing the works with excellent clarity and communication skills. Her second violin, Matt Greco, is well known in the HIP and classical music circles of Sydney, providing superb support and a few playful jabs. Viola was provided by the debonair Rafael Font, always reliable and sensitively tuned to the mood and emotion of the moment. In this series of string quartets, cello parts were not just continuo but given solo spots by the composers. Daniel Yeadon accomplished these parts with ease and a smile.
McIntosh described how the two Bohemian composers mixed and mingled with what we now consider the most famous composers in history including Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. What a magical time to be alive.
Paul Wranitzky (originally Pavel Vranický) “Germanised” or changed his name so it was easier for Germans to pronounce when he moved to Vienna when he was around 20 years old. His background and music studies came from working quietly with Jesuit colleges. His big break came when he met the Kapelmeister to the court of Swedish King Gustav III and managed to secure lessons to advance his musical training. A few short years later, Wrantizky was appointed Music Director for Count János Baptist Esterhazy, one of the family who were very famous patrons of music. In this court is where he met Haydn, who was already in the role he held for many decades as Kapelmeister to the Prince Esterhazy, head of the family.
Over the next few years Wranitzky was additionally appointed Director to two major theatre orchestras which kept him busy, in the centre of the arts in Vienna, for the rest of his life. He was mixing and being invited by Royals and nobility, accepting commissions for symphonies, writing several operas and holding long term friendships with both Mozart and Haydn. His work extended to a good list of Ballets – no doubt for his theatres – singspiele, concertos for string or woodwind and chamber music.
Wranitzky’s String Quartet Op. 49 in this performance was so very light and easy to enjoy. The final Presto movement was particularly fun.
By contrast, Josef Mysleviček had not changed his name when he travelled to Venice to study. Allegedly, he was one who charmed the women and frequently received gifts from patrons for his work. Because the Italians had trouble pronouncing his name, he became simply known as “Il Boemo”, the Bohemian, also “Ventorino”, “the Little Hunter” which is a literal translation of his name.
We only got to hear one movement of his String Quartet Op. 3 No. 6, though his output was considerable including plenty of chamber music and more than 50 Orchestral symphonies, all before an untimely death at the age of only 43. A life lived fully!
For the afternoon, not only was the program impeccably chosen and performed by the musicians, the setting was perfect as well. It is unclear if the late afternoon timing of the concert was deliberate but it allowed the audience to stroll out to the foyer at interval, face west next to the enormous floor to ceiling glass windows or step out on the balcony with a glass of wine. Here, they could watch the golden setting sun over calm harbour waters and a line of people fishing off the neighbouring pier. Absolute magic.
There were peaceful smiles all around as the patrons stepped back in to enjoy the second half of the concert. The magic seemed to rub off on everyone – audience and artists alike – and the applause was very generous at the close.
It was an outstanding performance from the AHE. Enjoyable in every way.
Program
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN – String Quartet Op. 77 No. 1 in G
PAUL WRANITZKY – String Quartet Op. 49 in D minor
JOSEF MYSLIVEČEK – Larghetto from String Quartet Op. 3 No. 6
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN – String Quartet Op. 18 No. 3 in D
Artists
Artistic Director: Sky McIntosh
Musicians: Matthew Greco, Rafael Font, Daniel Yeadon
Related Links
What’s On in Sydney at ACO on the Pier: https://www.aco.com.au/whats-on
What’s On with the Australian Haydn Ensemble: https://www.australianhaydn.com.au/tickets-to-our-next-concert
The Wranitzky Project: https://www.wranitzky.com/
