Mambo

This is my first Adelaide Youth Orchestras’ concert, and it won’t be my last. The future of orchestral music is safe if it is entrusted to these young, dedicated musicians. It is instrumental heaven!

There is something about experiencing the power of a symphony orchestra that lifts the soul to new heights and the Adelaide Youth Orchestras has this power in abundance. Their current concert, Mambo features over 80 young musicians in their teens or early twenties.

Established 23 years ago, The Adelaide Youth Orchestras services and supports 300 young musicians participating each week during school terms a range of large ensembles (Youth Orchestra, Symphonic Winds, Wind Orchestra, Sinfonia, and Junior Strings), an exciting Percussion Ensemble, and smaller chamber groups. Since 2021, they have supported more than 2,000 emerging young musicians to engage with our programs.

Their vision is to be recognised as the leading Australian youth orchestra, giving young South Australians the opportunity to attain the highest standard of musical performance.

Lead by Artistic Director and Conductor Keith Crellin, the standard is more than comparable to their adult counterparts.

Their repertoire is widely based and has features Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Johann Strauss, and now Schubert, Arutiunian and the legendary Leonard Bernstein.

Schubert’s famous unfinished symphony (No 8 in B Minor, D 759) is full of sweeping melodies and soaring strings. The first movement Allegro moderato was the inspiration for the musical based on the composer’s life, Lilac Time.

The symphony begins sonorous and dark, giving one the feeling of walking through a forest at dusk. The sections featuring the celli and double basses create a sense of majesty. The piano and pianissimo sections of this movement are moving.

The second movement, Andante con moto is more peaceful than the first and features some clever pizzicato work followed by an orchestral outburst and some ethereal flute passages.

The fireworks continue with the epic Alexander Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto in A flat major performed by special guest soloist Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Principal Trumpet David Khafagi.

Alexander Arutiunian was a Soviet and Armenian composer and pianist. Born in Erevan, Armenia, on September 23, 1920. Spanning a life of 92 years, he was awarded a huge array of Soviet Union prizes that included the Stalin Prize, State Prize of Armenia, and People’s Artist of the USSR. Several of his works for wind instruments have secured their place in the international repertory.

Right from the first notes we are transported to a Carmen-like atmosphere and can almost feel the bulls straining to be released.

In this concerto the orchestra are not simply an accompaniment, they are an integral partner,  and when the orchestra and trumpet play together fortissimo, the sound is glorious!

David Khafagi’s trumpet solos are full of technical difficulties which he makes look simple. His passages alternating with the brass are amazing and the cadenzas at the end are simply sublime. He is truly a master of the instrument as was evidenced by the foot stomping (orchestral applause) from the orchestra at the conclusion of the piece.

The second half of the program is devoted entirely to Leonard Bernstein, considered one of the most important composers of his time. He was the first American-born conductor to receive international acclaim and is famous for his insistence on perfection and has been known to make grown musicians cry!

West Side Story is the culmination of his talent as a composer/conductor and his Symphonic Dances based on the musical have earned their place in the ‘classical music’ repertoire.

From the iconic finger clicks of the Prologue, to the percussion work of the Scherzo, to the toe tapping Mambo with vocalisations by the orchestra, the orchestra plays with verve and precision, hitting just the right note, particularly the percussion section with a seemingly endless array of instruments.

The Meeting Scene features some exquisite harp sections which create a floating feel to the piece, while The Rumble is bursting with brass resounding through the performance space, and the Finale highlights the string section with moments of eerie horn passages.

Anyone who has seen West Side Story remembers the ending when the Sharks and the Jets hold the dead body of Tony aloft and carry him away followed by Maria to the lament of the orchestra. The Finale captures this feeling perfectly.

The Symphonic Dances are full of syncopation and challenge even experienced musicians.  The Adelaide Youth Orchestras more than meet the challenge with their precision and youthful attack. They invoke memories of Bernstein’s seminal musical. Dare I say, he would be impressed!

Mambo is a cleverly devised program with something for all tastes. It is a mezze platter of orchestral music played by devoted musicians and sure to have something to please every palate. The Adelaide Youth Orchestras are to be congratulated for their dedication and talent!

Barry Hill OAM