Another powerful and playful cocktail concert in the Utzon room of the Opera House on Friday July 25. These one hour chamber performances at 6pm by members of the SSO, enhanced by the in-kind sponsorship by Handpicked Wines, are marvellous beginnings for any evening. The small Utzon room is ideal for a compact chamber concert.
The first piece, by Luigi Gatti, was a sextet of cor anglais, bassoon, violin, viola and cello, an unusual combination that worked so well. I loved the interplays between cor anglais (Alexande Oguey) and double bass (David Campbell), punctuated by the bassoon (Fiona McNamara). Liugi Gatti was a prolific contemporary of Mozart; indeed he was appointed Kapellmeister in Salzburg, much to the jealous annoyance of Leopold Mozart. His sextet is delightfully playful, quite ‘Mozartian’.Max Bruch wrote this String Octet in 1920, the year of his death. This octet was first performed in 1937. It is said he was grieving for his recently deceased wife, and for defeated Germany. But this octet is far from mournful. It is strident and powerful. As the concert’s presenter Genevieve Lang enlightened the audience, Bruch’s final string works retained the romantic style, being challenged by other forms in the early 20th century.
The audience, a mix of young and old, were strongly appreciative. Violinists Sophie Cole and Alexandra Osborne were stunningly vigorous. Fenella Gill’s cello and Rosemary Curtin’s viola were just right in both pieces.
Please can we have more concerts like this memorable one? And, this concert was also performed at the Vanguard in Newtown on July 24. How good it that? The SSO is heading out into the community!
