Beethoven To Bolero – QSO Favourites

Concertmaster Warwick Adeney quipped in his opening introduction that ‘Mozart was like bacon, it goes with everything,’ and then the orchestra proceeded to give us a smorgasboard of favourite pieces that made up a gourmet meal – an appetizer of Mozart, followed by an entrée of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, before a main course of Gershwin, and a dessert of Dvorak and Ravel. It was indeed a rich degustation.

The program was the result of an audience survey as to what were QSO audiences’ favourite pieces, and what they would like the orchestra to play.

It was conductor Dane Lam who selected Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and as a main course it was perfect. With an augmented orchestra that included celesta, saxophones and automobile horns, it was an exhilarating ride of sound. Following its American premiere by the New York Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, 1928, the work has never been absent from the concert stage. Its mix of classical motifs and an iconic ‘blues’ that is unmistakably the Gershwin sound, has thrilled audiences for over ninety years, and yesterday’s performance was no exception. Warwick Adeley’s violin work through many of the bridging sections was sensitive and exemplary, whilst the string section as a whole playing the main ‘blues’ melody had sensual tone.

Ravel’s Bolero was originally written as a ballet but these days its performances are usually on the concert stage. Beginning on a snare drum, the insistent rhythm is played unchanged 169 times as two melodies alternately ride above it. The simple and sparse effect is breathtakingly dramatic as the music builds to an exciting climax. We’ve all heard it many times on record but nothing beats the ‘live’ performance from being swept away by the percussive build, especially the sudden key change to E major and then back again to C near the end.

Mozart’s Overture from The Marriage of Figaro was a great opener, a brightly played comic fanfare which set the scene for this musical feast.

The Valse: Allegretto moderato from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5 was dreamily romantic with clear indications this music relates to his ballets, Beethoven’s Allegretto from his Seventh Symphony also reminded one of dance as it skipped through the movement, whilst Dvorak’s Largo from his New World Symphony immediately captured deep foreboding from the lower strings and a sense of despair.

Dane Lam’s control at the podium was brilliantly emotive, and the orchestral playing was sonorous. To say we were all sated at the finale was stating the obvious. It was a rich and rewarding repast.

Peter Pinne