Above: David Rowden, Artistic Director of Omega Ensemble and soloist for the world premiere of Ross Edwards’ Clarinet Concerto No 2. Featured image: Violinist Thomas Gould plays with Omega Ensemble. Image Credit: Jay Patel.
The three works by living composers Jessie Montgomery, Ross Edwards and Philip Glass on this rewarding programme danced into our sensitivities as new and exciting ensemble works. The compositions and exciting tight ensemble playing, with dynamic support of soloists received an ecstatic crowd reaction in this concert with no interval.
Obviously thrilled to welcome a World Premiere work by octogenarian local composer Ross Edwards, the audience reacted to this and all works in a manner I have not seen for some time.
The atmosphere in the City Recital Hall to the three new or recent works by composers based in the USA or Australia was electric.
The refreshing sight of a screaming, cheering, whistling and stamping crowd was also a barometer for the success after the commissioning of the new clarinet work and the programming of two early twenty-first century works around it.
And what a world premiere event this concert held. Ross Edwards’ first clarinet concerto was composed in 2007 and the second commissioned by Omega Ensemble to be performed in this his eightieth birthday year.
This loved composer has been so productive in forging an inimitable, intelligent, evocative and ecology-referencing musical brand.
In this new clarinet concerto he not only celebrates his unique approach to soundscape but presents these shapes and concerns anew now in a smooth concerto format There are wonderful clarinet cadenzas and fine group dialogue-dancing between soloist and orchestra.
Clarinet soloist and Aristic Director of Omega Ensemble, David Rowden, made sure the opening flourish to this work impressed as it emerged from the quiet to the ecstatic dance play between clarinet and strings. The central movement: ‘Serene and mysterious-trance-like’ was exactly that from the Omega Ensemble musicians, as clarinet and ensemble spoke slowly with exquisite earthly stillness.
The second soloist and concerto for this programme followed straight on. Titan genre-busting UK violinist Thomas Gould, leader of the Britten Sinfonia, joined the Omega Ensemble synthesizer and strings led with deft precision by violinist Veronique Serret.
Gould’s task was to deliver and possibly introduce many in the hall to Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No 2 ‘The American Four Seasons’. This sprawling work’s Prologue, 3 Songs and 4 Movements was expertly delivered as it traced Glass’ complex arch of huge organic growth across many sections.
Gentle excellence, subtlety and a low vibrato approach were features of this reading. Gould’s string charisma, architectural familiarity and modern music openness helped cement the shapes of this work.
The legendary Glass reiterations-so much less than his earlier works- were delivered with fine nimble gesturing as a bridge to more development and well-balanced joint comment with the ensemble in the Movement sections.
The playing of Glass’ Song movements, which the informative, excellent, concise programme notes told us were conceive to be also played as independent solos did indeed reach us with individual and self-sufficient colours through this work’s trajectory.
I instantly wanted to hear this concerto again once it had finished, and from Gould and Omega Ensemble.
Equally and instantly endearing was Jessie Montgomery’s Strum (2006/2012). This performance to open the night’s expressive playlist heralded with its humble groove and impressive arsenal of effects that these ensemble musicians were to attack each iconic composer’s personality with a clear group voice.
The Omega Ensemble musicians displayed an easy conquering of technical and emotional challenges of each work, ably promoting each composer’s innovations to the adoring broad minds of their assembled fan base.
