Category Archives: Live Performance

MENAGE Belgian Beer Cafe, Perth

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MENAGE

2.10 and Tetrafide

Belgian Beer Cafe, Perth
11 March 2003

reviewed by Neville Cohn 

It would have been a stressful time for the organisers of this concert. The Belgian Beer Café, tucked away in Perth’s CBD, is not an entirely waterproof venue. True, there was partial protection from the elements in the form of a number of shade sails positioned over the performing area. But it had rained heavily earlier in the day and there were portents that this might happen again, making two very expensive grand pianos, with their lids removed, sitting ducks (no pun intended). In the event, there were only mild spatterings and the concert went ahead, although the very high humidity would have made precise tuning of the instruments a nightmare for the piano technician. In the event, those gentle falls were later in the evening to cause very real problems.

In the second half of the program, devoted to Steve Reich’s Sextet, some rain water made it around the shade sails and on to gadgetry linked to an electronic keyboard played by Cathie Travers. As the water made contact with the equipment, splutters were heard, sparks were seen – a crackling overture to disaster? – but in the best traditions of the show going on, Travers swiftly disconnected the affected machinery, abandoned her electronic keyboard, took her place at one of the adjacent conventional pianos and, with barely a hiccough, played on, a manouvre taking mere seconds and saving the day. This instant adjustment to a different instrument mid-performance was a factor that brought an extra frisson to the listening experience.

Earlier, Travers and Emily Green-Armytage, as piano duo 2.10, essayed the villainously treacherous paramell V by Stephen Montague with the sort of cool efficiency, near-infallible fingers and rock-solid beat that leave one in no doubt that these musicians are on a fast track to the stars. The two were no less impressive in Evan Kennea’s engaging Quaver Trails, leaving one with the abiding impression that 2.10 has something significant to say in musical terms. It ought to be heard far more frequently than is the case now, not least for their imaginative, forward-looking program choices.

It was a good night for Tetrafide, too, an ensemble that impresses more w ith each hearing. Whether in conventionally notated scores or in
demonstrations of tribal drumming, this youthful ensemble seemed positively to relish getting to virtuosic grips with whatever it happened to be performing.


A FRENCH AFFAIR

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A FRENCH AFFAIR

The Boardwalk Theatre, Mandurah

BENJAMIN FOO (Piano)

Reviewed by Anne Hodgson

It is always a pleasant occasion when a young artist presents a concert in the home town. Benjamin Foo introduced himself to the Mandurah audience very much as a local lad and, with microphone in hand, spoke comfortably and amusingly about the short pieces which he performed, although the frequently used ‘song’ was not strictly descriptive, since Mr Foo is a pianist and not a tenor.

In the case of a public recital, when people are asked to pay for their tickets, the question of correct presentation must be a serious consideration, especially by a young artist who is in the process of establishing his reputation on the concert platform. A bad mistake was made when it was decided to put a microphone in the piano for the purposes of amplification. Not only was it unnecessary, and perhaps a bit of an insult to the architect of the Boardwalk Theatre, but it falsified the characteristic timbre of the piano and confused the textures of the various pieces. One hopes that in future recitals Mr Foo will allow the tones of the concert piano to sound unaided, otherwise whatever understanding he may have of the pieces which he performs will simply not become apparent.

There is nothing wrong with a concert of short pieces, and the title “A French Affair” was a good description of what was presented – well-known works mainly by Debussy and Ravel – but with a bit of Satie and Cecile Chaminade (not forgetting Beethoven and Mussorgsky) also included, the programme was fragmentary and lacked real cohesion. It would have been better if Mr Foo had performed the whole of Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit instead of just the first movement, and the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata is fine on a recording of popular favourites, but in the context of a recital, all three movements should be played.

As a performer Mr Foo displays a technique which is appropriate for the works which he presents, although there are sometimes lapses in memory, when interesting new melodic and harmonic moments occur. He has a powerful attack and, despite passages where the percussive nature of the piano is sometimes overplayed, he has good control of the thicker textures. The intricacies of difficult keyboard passages are also generally performed confidently and clearly. However, during the performance it was obvious that the question of how to deal with musical time is still somewhat unresolved in Mr Foo’s mind. Many of the works were too steadily measured; they did not display the temporal elasticity which is absolutely essential for pieces such as Debussy’s Clair de Lune. Satie’s Gymnopédies No.1 also lacked the delicacy of touch which is needed for the sparse texture of the piece, although that particular problem could have been caused by the microphone rather than by a failure of understanding on Mr Foo’s part.

As a presentation to an audience of friends the concert was successful, but one hopes that Mr Foo will not always chat so freely to his listeners. He tends towards a self-deprecatory delivery, and while that can be appealing it has very little to do with the pianist’s real concern which is to present music and not just to entertain.

COPYRIGHT © February 2003 Anne Hodgson


DRUMMING STEVE REICH AND MUSICIANS

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DRUMMING

 

STEVE REICH AND MUSICIANS

The Boardwalk Theatre, Mandurah,

reviewed by Anne Hodgson 

Steve Reich does not need to present his credentials as a musical creator. What he writes is the music of our time and probably, as indicated by some commentators, also of the future. Reich’s music has taken his ideas around the world, and his ideas have gained acceptance and legitimacy in the contemporary mind.

As part of his appearance in the 50th Anniversary of the Festival of Perth, Reich and an ensemble of extremely talented musicians and technical practitioners moved seventy kilometres south to the city of Mandurah to present the concert entitled Drumming. This could have been a bit of a misnomer, seeing that half of the recital featured a string quartet, but whether stated or suggested, a strongly percussive element was present in all the works on the programme.

The works performed ranged from the early 1970’s to 2002, providing a broad view of Reich’s compositional thinking, and each item was fascinating from the point of view both of its construction and the skills which the performers brought to its execution. The concert began with Drumming (Part 1) from 1971- a rather stunning display of sound produced by four pairs of tuned bongo drums, played with sticks, with five performers moving in and out of the action in a sort of choreography which considerably helped one’s understanding of the highly complex texture. This was vital, driving music, but carefully controlled and calculated throughout and never in any danger of spilling over into excess, although the vibrant and curiously amusing energy of the piece was thoroughly stimulating.

It was in the second item, the Triple Quartet from 1999, that the importance of technology to Reich’s music became apparent. The version that was performed was a string quartet working with a pre-recorded tape of two other string quartets in a piece where Reich showed his mastery of contrapuntal writing and of the repetitive process. Although the composite sound of tape and live players was sometimes too hard around the edges, the musical substance was powerful and satisfying, and certainly proved that dissonance does not make for disengagement.

The third work Piano Phase/Video Phase (1967/2002) was extremely interesting, but perhaps for the wrong reason. Initially written for two pianos, it had been translated into technology and was performed brilliantly by David Cossin. The presentation was through a back-lit screen on which appeared a video image of the percussionist playing drum pads which nevertheless sounded like a piano, with a ghostly doppelgänger of the same percussionist playing the same musical material live but not at exactly the same time. The world of sound and vision technology had taken over; it was showy, it was clever, but the visual effect tended to dominate beyond the normal level of a stage performance, and rather at the expense of the musical content.

The out-of-phase aspect of time which Reich builds into much of his music was also a major element in Nagoya Marimbas of 1994, where the two players gave an outstanding performance of the piece, handling the dynamic variety and the temporal complexities of melody against melody with remarkable ability and flair.

The final work, the Different Trains of 1988, was the most programmatic item in the concert. As well as giving cause for some deep reflection on the text itself, this music set a trend for Reich which has been pursued in later works, where rhythms or images from reality generate the musical expression. The demands of this type of performance are heavy, but the string quartet, again working with a prepared tape, once more displayed a remarkable technical expertise and ensemble unity.

To hear Reich’s music live and under the composer’s control was an opportunity definitely not to be missed. Perhaps some might have felt disappointed that Reich did not discuss his work from the platform, but the music stands on its own, and the written notes were comprehensive. There is no doubt that in these compositions there are the roots of possible future trends, particularly in the area of the multi-media expression, but because Reich demonstrates his styles so thoroughly and so completely he could be a hard act to follow.

 

COPYRIGHT © February 2003 Anne Hodgson


Best of British Perth Pops Orchestra & New I Voci Singers

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Best of British

 

Perth Pops Orchestra & New I Voci Singers
Perth Concert Hall

reviewed by Phoebe Schuman

 

 

Using the winning formula he has applied to such remarkable effect over the years, John Christmass marked the tenth anniversary of his Best of British concerts with a program that drew a capacity house, most of whom seemed determined to have a good time. They did just that – if whole-hearted participation in community singing of pub songs is anything to go by. But there was meatier fare than “Lovely Bunch of Coconuts” and “I Do Love To Be Beside the Seaside” on offer, not least the opportunity to listen to soprano Rachelle Durkin who leaves shortly to take up a coveted scholarship at New York’s famed Metropolitan Opera. All eyes and ears were focussed on this young singer, a long-time student of Janice Taylor-Warne. Clear voiced, she was in excellent fettle, especially in “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose”.

Two short unaccompanied items, sung by the New I Voci Singers, were the highpoint of the evening with choir founder John Christmass, who is second to few and better than most as choral trainer, taking his charges through their paces. For clarity of line, quality of harmonic tissue and timbre, this was choral singing to savour. So, too, was Jenny Coleman’s beautifully considered account on the flugel horn of a transcription for the instrument of the slow movement from one of Rodrigo’s concertos for guitar. Another thoroughly worthwhile contribution was Graham Wood’s playing on the violin of Shostakovich’s “Romance” from The Gadfly. Baritone Mark Alderson, too, did well, notably in Sanderson’s Up from Somerset, sung with scrupulous attention to the composer’s requirements.

Events of this nature (requiring, as they do, the most fastidious attention to logistics to run as smoothly as they do), don’t just happen. And the attention to detail that is the hallmark of any Christmass presentation was much in evidence here. In order to create, as closely as possible, an ambience suggestive of the traditional Last Night of the London Proms (on which Best of British presentations are modelled) there were balloons aplenty, coloured streamers, Union Jacks in profusion, some hanging from the balconies, others in the form of little flags left on seats for audience members to wave about, yet more on caps and even waistcoats worn by some of the more flamboyant concertgoers – and cardboard cutouts of Coldstream Guards and Beefeaters.

David Hawkes was compere as well as giving a perhaps excessively over-the-top account of Noel Coward’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

The lion’s share of the conducting of the 50-strong Perth Pops Orchestra fell to Ashley Arbuckle, for many years – as concertmaster – a mainstay of the W.A.Symphony Orchestra. His clear, uncluttered beat did much to ensure the success of the evening

COPYRIGHT © September 2001 ­ Phoebe Schuman


The Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan)

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The Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan)

 

 

Royal Carl Rosa Opera Company
Regal Theatre

reviewed by Edmund Percy

 

What unalloyed pleasure it was, for once, to experience a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta devoid of the ‘improvements’ visited upon it since copyright expired, thus allowing producers a free hand to ‘interpret’ the work in any way they think fit. This production of The Mikado is a reversal of that trend, a lovingly fashioned presentation which makes use of Gilbert’s original prompt book to get as close to authenticity as possible. By today’s standards, where high tech know-how enables producers to create lavish effects undreamed of by G & S, Carl Rosa’s 2 & S makes use of – by today’s standards – modest décor in a deliberately old-fashioned way. Scenery, recreated from old photographs of an early production, is of the cardboard cutout sort. Entrances and exits are, to modern eyes, rather unimaginative with most of the protagonists coming on stage from centre-rear. Costumes, though, are uniformly magnificent – and the singers they clothe are, for the most part, splendid interpreters of both words and music.

There are no weak links in this production. It would be more accurate, perhaps, to suggest that the players bring varying levels of excellence to their efforts, with star of the production unquestionably Simon Butteriss. As the ridiculous Koko, he brings the house down, generating a kind of theatrical electricity as he romps about the stage. His cavortings and malleable face which mirrors a comic range of expressions, are frankly inspired; in years, I cannot recall enjoying a G & S portrayal as much as this. The cast’s women are exceptional, too, whether in solo roles or in ensemble, whether as “three little maids from school” or the larger chorus, all a model of what synchronised singing is all about, with the clearest of diction – absolutely essential if Gilbert’s razor-sharp wit is to be savoured to the full – and a faultless feel for style..

The obligatory love interest is provided by Ivan Sharpe and Marianne Hellgren who both bring a winning sense of innocence to their characterisations as Nanki Poo and Yum Yum. Another scene stealer is Nuala Willis as Katisha, long on the shelf and desperate to marry, if not Nanki Poo (her prime target) then anyone else. There is artistry and to spare in bringing the role to life, some vocal weakness notwithstanding, a characterisation fleshed out by a repertoire of facial expressions (ranging from astonished outrage to horror) that might rival those of Marcel Marceau.Peter Ellis, known to an enormous international TV audience as Chief Superintendent Brownlow in The Bill, is here another bigwig – the Mikado himself. But for all the skill brought to bear on the role, Ellis seemed not quite at home in this pseudo-Nipponese incarnation. Then, too, he is so inextricably linked to his Bill role that it was difficult to view him as any other than the Chief Superintendent playing at G & S.

So many of the ingredients crucial for success in music theatre terms – production, casting, vocal and instrumental ability as well as spot-on evocation of mood – were here in secure equipoise. A delightful production.

COPYRIGHT © September 2001 ­ Edmund Percy