WAAPA Music Auditorium

reviewed by Neville Cohn

To listen to Geoffrey Lancaster at the fortepiano is to travel back in time when Mozart and Haydn reigned supreme. It is impossible to praise too highly the artistry of this exceptional interpreter.

With a complete physical command of the instrument and an intellect that is as impressive as his digital skill at the keyboard, Lancaster was at his awesome best on Thursday.

For those who consider, say, Walter Gieseking as the last word in Mozart interpretation, Lancaster’s approach may well provoke a raised eyebrow or two. Gieseking, of course, played on a modern piano in a 20^th-century style. Lancaster, on the other hand, makes magic on the sort of instrument for which Mozart wrote his keyboard works.

And a lifetime’s investment in performance practice of the classical era has paid golden dividends both for Lancaster and those who have the good fortune to listen to him in action. I wonder if there is – anywhere – a fortepianist of higher accomplishment than Lancaster. His playing is frankly magical, abounding in subtleties of tone and rhythm that draw us ineluctably into Mozart’s rarefied world.

As ever and in accordance with performance practice of the era, each sonata was prefaced by an improvisatory-type flourish.

What are the chances, I wonder, of Lancaster being invited to play the complete keyboard sonatas of Mozart in Perth? I imagine it would be standing room only.

Bravissimo!

Margaret Blades (violin), Michael Goldschlager (cello), Faith Maydwell (piano)

Robert Braham Auditorium, Trinity College

reviewed by Neville Cohn

 

This was chamber music programming with a difference. Instead of what one would normally have expected – two, perhaps three, complete works for piano trio – we were offered only one work in toto – Arensky’s Trio in D minor. This was played after the interval. But the first half, most unusually, consisted of a selection of movements from a number of trios by Mendelssohn, Brahms and Dvorak. The last mentioned was represented by movements 1, 2 and 6 from his famous Dumky Trio.

 

Of Brahms, I heard the opening movement of his Trio opus 9 (which I listened to with an ear pressed to a crack in the door as I arrived a few minutes after the concert began). As well, there was the andante con moto tranquillo from Mendelssohn’s Trio in D minor.

 

On paper, this would have seemed a recipe for muddled musicmaking – a bit of this, a bit of that. Sonic fruit salad. But it must be conceded that, despite these reservations, the compilation made for most pleasant listening, especially the Dumky movements, the mournful essence of which came across in a consistently meaningful way. A Mendelssohn movement was finely considered.

 

Chief focus of the afternoon, though – and the concert’s most rewarding listening – was an account of Arensky’s Piano Trio in D minor, its shifting moods a challenge which the players met with consistently musical finesse. Adding to the pleasure of the presentation were the impressively fine acoustics of the venue..

 

Visually, the Robert Braham Auditorium is a quite ordinary looking space but its acoustics make it special. I understand that expert opinion was sought to achieve this – and the result is impressive. And there’s also a first rate baby grand Fazioli piano at which Faith Maydwell was a consistently meaningful player. Apart from a need for rather more tonal presence from the violin, fine synchronisation, tempi choices that invariably sounded right – and excellent grasp of style – combined to provide musicmaking that gave a good deal of listening pleasure.

 

At this venue, on 2^nd November at 2:30pm, Magellan presents a program of music from the 20^th century and beyond – Ravel, Shostakovich, Martin and Kats-Chernin.

 

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Defying Gravity and friends

WAAPA Music Auditorium

reviewed by Neville Cohn

 

At what would certainly have been one of the year’s most fascinating offerings, percussion ensemble Defying Gravity together with traditional Indian dancers from the Temple of Fine Arts – as well as a small choir and a group of double bass players – drew a packed house. I cannot recall ever before seeing so many people on stage at this venue – and it was a little miracle of logistics that so many artists in this intriguing multi-ethnic extravaganza moved and danced about the stage without collision.

 

There was much that was thoroughly worthwhile on offer here – and a fair amount that could fairly be described as memorable in the best sense.

 

One of the most intriguing offerings was a display of so-called vocal percussion, a fascinating presentation of rapidly stated syllables by a number of players in episodes of varying, intricate rhythms that I have not encountered before.

 

Aaron Logan launched the evening’s program, making a startling entrance from the rear of the auditorium, invoking the ‘gods of rhythm’ in a stentorian voice while vigorously thumping a West African djembe drum.

 

Joni Hogan, dressed rather like a typical child’s doll, added her voice persuasively to the evening’s proceedings. And Josh Hogan made a crucially important contribution to events on stage.

 

What made the program that more satisfying was the clear and unabashed enthusiasm of the players with Tim White an ebullient master of ceremonies as well as contributing his percussive skills to the proceedings.

 

Whether rapping out a percussive storm while positioned in a circle within which was placed a battery of percussion instruments – or helping carry off and carry on any numbers of props –  everyone on stage seemed to be relishing every moment of the event – and this communicated itself to the capacity audience.

 

As climaxes go, the world premiere of the 2014 version of Abuti would take a lot of beating as the Indian dancers, clothed in red and white, double bass players, a small choir and, of course, Defying Gravity, mallets at the ready, combined their very different skills in a sensational, 40-minute climax of sound, movement and visual dazzlement.

 

It was good to see that this exceptionally engrossing multimedia offering was being filmed. I hope that through this, this remarkable entertainment reaches a very large audience; it most certainly deserves to.

 

It says much for the efficacy of the sound-absorbing wall panels that the often very emphatic percussive assault was able to be heard without damage to ear drums.