Northern Lights

This exquisite performance is special in many ways. The extremely talented Swedish-Norwegian violinist, Johan Dalene, makes his debut in Australia alongside the renowned Australian pianist, Jennifer Marten-Smith. At the age of only 24 Dalene has already developed an astonishing career. He won the prestigious Carl Nielsen International Competition in 2019 and was recently named Artist-in-Residence with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The program presented by Dalene in this concert is varied, romantic and dramatic. The program also includes the world premiere of a new work by Jack Frerer, especially commissioned for Dalene and Marten-Smith. This is a piece that explores undulating musical equilibrium.

The concert opens with Beethoven’s joyous Violin Sonata in G, Op.30 No.3. It includes Tchaikovsky’s nostalgic Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Grieg’s evocative Violin Sonata No.2, Op.13, and Rautavaara’s Notturno with its suggestion of dark, wintry scenery. The program also features Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps. Boulanger is a woman composer whose work reflects her incredible resilience as a musician. Like Dalene and Marten-Smith, she was a child prodigy. Sadly, Boulanger suffered ill health as she was growing up and died of tuberculosis at the age of 20. Despite the despair that surrounded her life, her music is lively and energetic. This performance coalesces the combined natural and forceful talent of the music and the musicians. The concert concludes with Ravel’s dazzling Tzigane and brings the program to a spectacular end. 

In this concert the performance, the program, and the ambience are all so well integrated that the audience is easily transported by the brilliance and beauty of the music.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Cameron Jamieson