Australian Haydn Ensemble performed Schubert Songs featuring guest Baritone David Greco. Back by popular demand, the ensemble have revived the program with Greco from the BC years (Before Covid) mixing Schubert’s Lieder with String Quartet movements by Mendelssohn.
It made a lovely change last night to hear the concert in a venue not so often used for music. The State Library of NSW sits close to the Botanical Gardens in central Sydney city. It’s one of the few remaining Sydney buildings with the distinctive features of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Facing North, dramatic, tall stone ionic columns proudly support a raked pediment. Completing the frame are wide stone steps leading up to a classic portico and grand entrance doors.
Inside are marble floors and stairways, sweeping balustrades, tall ceilings and a mezzanine overlooking the main atrium. The building is in beautiful condition. On the first floor, administration offices have been removed to make room for the Paintings Galleries, a permanent exhibition of 300 paintings which is free to view for the public. Here is where the seats were laid out for the concert in the central room.
Behind the performance space hangs a collection of 19th century portraits boldly lit on a wall of Azure blue. The string quartet sat in a semi circle with lighting behind them. Baritone Greco stood in front with no additional lighting. The effect, as you can see from the picture, was as if another audience, from an era closer to that of the composers in the program, were peeking over Greco’s shoulder to enjoy the music with us.
Schubert’s Lieder were mostly written for solo singer accompanied by piano. They became immensely popular during the 1800s for home performance and small venues such as cafes. Even today, they still suit more intimate venues stretching to concert hall sized audiences when need be. The lack of front spotlighting made us feel like we were there, in the salon with David and the ensemble. Perhaps all that was needed to make us feel completely at home was a coffee or a glass of wine to complete the picture.
Vi King Lim arranged the lieder for String Quartet accompaniment which worked very well. The lieder were interspersed with movements from a Mendelssohn String Quartet. His Opus 81 may have been four separate movements from a collection of unfinished works, left behind after his early death. It is possible they were published together simply because they were too good to leave as single movements which are more difficult to program.
The musicians Matthew Greco violin, Karina Schmitz viola and Daniel Yeadon cello were strong, expressive and accurate, supporting concert master and Artistic Director Skye McIntosh. Each movement from the quartet created a very different mood and rhythm. Their uniqueness segmented the program into bite size pieces.
Greco described how Schubert lived in Vienna during a time of great oppression. The Napoleonic Wars had made Vienna a police state where censorship was heavy. Schubert and his musical friends would meet regularly for music making and were all arrested by the police, suspected of revolutionary activities. During that same era in Europe, the focus was drawn into a darker, more sinister world. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, The Brontë sisters and Charles Dickens added to a growing interest in Gothic horror. Death, pain, suffering, ghosts and supernatural characters featured heavily in paintings, plays, novels and music. Portraying these themes in lieder made for an efficient delivery of a chilling scene.
Much of the lieder chosen for the performance held the theme of death. The diversity in mood is what made the selection so interesting. One character in a lied would fight against death, one would go willingly, another depressed and giving up on life. Greco made the most of his vast theatrical experience to give each lied a unique interpretation. Only one disappointment was “Der Tod und das Mädchen” D 531 (Death and the Maiden) where Greco told how the role of Death (the Reaper) is often interpreted as a great seducer. The audience waited for this interpretation which was not given. Instead it was a simple singing of the notes. No big deal. Making up for this was “Schwanengesang: Ständchen” and the encore “An die Musik” – both lieder truly beautiful and much loved.
Greco performed with exquisite articulation, pitch perfect using a wide variety of tones. His technique easily stands up under the scrutiny of an audience seated a couple of metres away from his feet.
The audience was delighted with the performance.
It would certainly be lovely have more musical performances in this venue. Looking at the State Library website, the cost of venue hire seems to be aimed more at the corporate and wedding market. Let’s hope our government isn’t so focussed on profit as to discourage performing artists from making more use of the space.
Program
MENDELSSOHN String Quartet Op. 81 No. 1 Tema con variazioni
SCHUBERT Die Götter Griechenlands’ D 677
SCHUBERT Der Jungling und der Tod D 545
SCHUBERT An den Mond D 259
MENDELSSOHN String Quartet Op. 81 No. 2 Scherzo
SCHUBERT Gute Nacht from Winterreise D 911
SCHUBERT Frühlingstraum from Winterreise D 911
MENDELSSOHN String Quartet Op. 81 No. 4 Fugue
SCHUBERT Der Leiermann from Winterreise D 911
SCHUBERT Der Tod und das Mädchen D 531
SCHUBERT Schwanengesang: Ständchen D 957 No. 4
MENDELSSOHN String Quartet Op. 81 No. 3 Capriccio
SCHUBERT Der Erlkönig D 328
Encore: SCHUBERT An die Musik D 547
Schubert arrangements by Vi King Lim.
Related Links
What’s On from Australian Haydn Ensemble?: https://www.australianhaydn.com.au/tickets-to-our-next-concert
What’s On Sydney at the State Library of NSW: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/whats-on
