Death & the Maiden

The first of Ensemble Q’s Sundays by the Lake performances was well worth the trip out to the University of Queensland. The concert took place in the stunning building no. 49 which has a glass wall so you can look out across the stage to the lake, trees and wildlife beyond. It was the perfect setting for the melancholic themed program, featuring works by two composers who tragically died young, but who continued to compose even in the face of cruel and final illness. Lili Boulanger’s ‘D’un soir triste’ (Of a sad evening) and ‘D’un matin de printemps’ (Of a Spring morning) (1917/18) were sweeping and sad trios that captivated the audience – a very impressive turnout on a potentially rainy Brisbane afternoon. These pieces were composed in the last months of Lili’s life, and some parts may have been notated by her famous musical sister, Nadia. Yet, while the piano captures a foreboding, the superb strings lend a gliding hope. The musicians were Daniel De Borah (piano), Trish Dean (cello) and Adam Chalabi (violin).

Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D minor. D. 810 ‘Death and the Maiden’ (1824) followed – and this piece jumps in feet first! Schubert’s quartet was played by Trish Dean (cello), Adam Chalabi (violin), Anne Horton (violin) and Helena Burns (viola) – Brisbane-born Helena is part of the Australian National Academy of Music’s (ANAM’s) placement program, allowing her to be star player with Ensemble Q’s brilliant constellation, while mentoring with the group’s Adam Chalabi, who is also Head of Violin at ANAM. This is a brilliant addition to Ensemble Q’s contribution to the musical landscape. Paul Dean introduced the Schubert quartet as one of his faves, and possibly one of the most perfect musical compositions – and from this performance, I would have to concur. The opening five notes form one of the best musical introductions ever – dramatic, succinct, economic yet engaging – immediately pivoting to a quiet melodic interlude, before building to a fast and furious filmic frenzy – once again, the melancholy tempered by moments of grand passion. The four movements were over all too soon, and the final galloping notes coincided with swaying trees and a sudden onset of heavy rain that was like a nod to the group’s Artistic Directors (Trish Dean and Paul Dean) that their choice of venue was sanctioned by the composers’ spirits. As I walked to the bus, my umbrella’s jaunty angle pulsed with Schubert’s resounding and uplifting beat, defying the rain and the sadness of the composers’ lives. This music is immersive theatre.

Ensemble Q’s Sundays by the Lake series continues with only three more performances in June, September and October. Don’t miss this unique musical experience: ensembleqaustralia.com

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Gavin Rebetzke