Above: Nicole van Bruggen performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto on period basset clarinet. Featured image: Australian Romantic and Classical Orchesstra. Photo Credit: Nick Gilbert.
Following its formation in 2013 by founding artistic director Richard Gill AO, the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra have continued to deliver vibrant and exciting programmes, re-inventing past music for us adhering to historically informed performance (‘HIP) guidelines. The result is always one which provides historic sound and performance event accuracy with stunning freshness.
The assembled crowd were obviously thrilled beyond all such expectations by this group of expert ‘HIP’ musicians from around the country and the world as well as the popular works to be played. Keen tempi, crisp articulation and brilliant playing in bold broad strokes imbued this entire communication of instrumental and opera classics.
Authenticity of musical gesturing was further enhanced by a concert item ordering where the three movements of the Mozart concerto work were separated and heard as individual entities alternating with vocal duets and arias from Figaro.
As well as this being a reflection of concert programming from the era of Mozart and Beethoven, this rare separation of a work’s movements enabled us to explore Mozart’s dramatic and atmospheric skill as a composer as reflected so immediately between his loved concerto and opera genres.
The audience was able to enjoy each mood and character of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in stunning juxtaposition and appropriate matching with the surrounding opera confrontations between Figaro’s servants Susanna (Jacqueline Porter), and Figaro (David Greco) and the opera’s titled upper class couple.
Nicole van Bruggen’s presentation of each separated mood of the concerto was also designed with help from a period picture marketing a concert in Mozart’s time. Visually different in this way to longer keyed clarinet versions often seen, the instrument allowed beautiful subtleties of muted tone in slow expansive moments such as the joyous opening movement. The playing had alight agility of phrasing across registers in faster instances of eloquence such as the opening movement’s mood.
The depth of tone produced by this player and instrument in the inimitable basset low register was a very special and rare exquisiteness for us to witness. The blend and conversation with the orchestra was balanced. A clarity and airiness surrounded all exchanges between soloist and orchestra.
Above : Soprano Jacqueline Porter and David Greco joined the orchestra for semi-staged performances of excerpts from Mozart’s ‘ The Marriage of Figaro’. Photo credit: Nick Gilbert.
In a similar vein the rendering of the Beethoven Symphony No 5 following interval was a brusque but beautiful reading. Charismatically and sensitively led by violinist Rachael Beesley, the performance showcased the sheer excellence of the orchestra’s huge collective experience. It also confronted us with the forthright nature of Beethoven’s declamations using tempi not often attempted.
The result was an enlightened forward rocket of expression in this Symphony. The playing was devoid of excessive vibrato or laboured playing of less crisp and heavy slower interpretations from years gone by. The playing by individual sections or tutti orchestra which breathtakingly highlighted the energy behind Beethoven’s expertly crafted rhythmic and melodic structures from ingredients which work well at a very sprightly and HIP speed.
The orchestra accompanied Mozart’s vocal writing with equal clarity and crispness. Respectful, rigorous and detailed figuration laid down a stable and colourful bed for the operatic voices. Greco and Porter’s fine chemistry and tension in the earnest and believable assorted characterisations were also finely supported musically.
Followng the active opening to Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, Greco’s Count in the duet ‘Crudel! Perché finora’ sizzled and flowed over the instrumental foundations. Hot on the heels of the famous clarinet concerto Adagio came Jacqueline Porter’s Countess aria ‘Dove sono’, warmly accompanied. It extended the poignant clarinet expression with a clear musical package of heartache. The pace and shaping of this aria left space for text delivery and acting on an elevated and appropriate level.
The refreshing delivery of such beloved classics and operatic moments on the concert stage brought the audience to their feet in thundering applause at the concert’s conclusion. In addition to more such concerts, it would be exciting for continued recordings of such landmark compositions and the quality collaboration of performers to excite educate and enlighten with such style.