Above : The Marrickville Town Hall’s heritage space was enhanced with effective lighting design for this Met Concert. Featured image: Chief Conductor Sarah-Grace Williams and members of TMO. Images : Paul Nolan.
To shine a bright and well-earned spotlight on The Metropolitan Orchestra in its fourth Met Concert of 2022, this thrilling programme juxtaposed two of the ‘big fourths’ from Romantic period masters of symphonic architecture, orchestration and musical depiction of intense mood.
Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ Symphony No 4 Op. 90, that delightful and detailed sketch of Italian life, energies or scenes, began this compelling, challenging and dramatic double-bill. The B-side of this event was no less than Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 4 Op. 36 in F minor, composed over four decades later than Mendelssohn’s calmer but vivid postcard.
In any audience member’s or orchestral player’s eyes, this concert combo would be considered a rare and highly attractive performance event. For any orchestra it would require a well-paced approach and loads of stamina to perform. This was no problem for TMO’s Chief Conductor Sarah-Grace Williams and band, whose energy and attention to detail never waned or was strained throughout.
This orchestra rose superbly to the technical and emotional challenges of the showcase. In the full, glossy acoustic of the Marrickville Town Hall space TMO devoured the multi-hued drama of these works. Their intelligent interpretation, gutsy declamations and well-cued contrasts were consistently entertaining and enlightening. TMO’s playing kept a grateful and excited audience well on the edge of their seats.
Traditionally, TMO have concluded Met concerts with an entire symphony in the second half of its programme. To have two blockbuster symphonic hits fleshing out a single programme and separated by interval, we were able to dig in as an audience to enjoy such a substantial offering. The crowd sampled TMO’s expert delivery of each four-movement narrative with obvious attentive awe during this powerhouse programme.
This concert was quite a ride. TMO’s presentation of the two personalities and different approaches to symphonic form in this chronological study of the nineteenth century symphony. The chosen masters’ classic hits were heard as a riveting swoop, laid out with bold precision and thoughtful ensemble interaction before us.
The ‘Italian’ Symphony is a well- known favourite of the genre. Its iconic opening in which strings are leaping with unique lurching lilt makes it quite a challenge to attack. As the symphony progresses, Mendelssohn the compositional prodigy is clearly in the spotlight.
TMO’s clear and balanced rendition of this work’s shapes and shifting textures formed a tribute to the composer’s total control of the accepted forms of the day. TMO musicians showed themselves to be totally equipped to let the craftsmanship of Mendlessohn’s descriptive gesturing easily emerge from his eclectic, expertly orchestrated tapestry.
Above : Sarah-grace Williams and TMO in action during Met concert 4. Image: supplied.
TMO’s playing and cohesive celebration of this opening symphony also immediately and deservedly put the orchestra in the spotlight on this night of popular symphonies.
The group attacked this work’s opening with bold confidence and suitably erratic but safe line. The second movement’s salute to the stately reverence of funeral processsion was played with exquisite measured steps throughout. Its restraint was a highlight of the symphony’s programmatic diversity. Mendelssohn’s architectural approach to creation of soundscape was in nice evidence here.
The final saltarello-inspired Italian dance movement for this work was executed at impressive top speed. Despite such a tempo choice for the busy tableau, it danced cleanly. All components precisely interlocked with no blurring. The various orchestral choirs sang and moved virtuosically together in Mendelssohn’s choreography.
Following interval, the Tchaikovsky Fourth took us to the total symphonic stratosphere. This was achieved in signature, scintillating and super-secure TMO style. The horn section we had already enjoyed in charming, subtle moments of the Mendelssohn Minuet and Trio movement, now seized us by the shoulders. They shook our existence plus the entire venue with the resounding blats of the doom-filled opening Fate Theme moment.
Sarah-Grace Williams and TMO worked tirelessly to bring Tchaikovsky’s relentless mood mash-up to life. The second half of the concert quickly became quite a stunning spectacular. The power of the four-movement symphony as exploited by Romantic Period masters was fantastically championed by TMO here.
Impressive in this work was the control shown to provide contrast along the way. Moments of slow growth to climax in the sprawling symphony’s statements began from a subtle and small space. This was a suitably dramatic variation to the surrounding largeness. The lyrical swagger in softer, sustained moments of this symphony, such as the downtime in the first movement were exemplary sections of calm-before-the-storm colourisation.
At the conclusion of this symphony, the audience audibly gasped with wonder and appreciation. New and old fans of these huge symphonic stunners went home on the sonic cloud nine that these number fours so well played provided. Pandemic hesitations of years past were dealt with via strong, healthy musical directness as the two major works were fully unmasked by TMO.
TMO’s next concert, Met Concert #5 takes place at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta on Friday November 18 at 8pm. It features works by Mendelssohn and Elgar as well as a World Premiere od Wilkins’ Triple Flute Concerto.