Passionate strings create moving concert

Canberra Strings directed by Barbara Jane Gilby

Greenaway: Murray and the Mountain

Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 in D major

Borodin: String Quartet No. 2, “Notturno” movement

Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest ACT

March 6, 2022

Reviewed by Rob Kennedy

Barbara Jane Gilby and Pip Thomson. Photo: Peter Hislop

SINGULAR movements from a work can have an entire narrative of their own. In this Canberra Strings concert at Wesley Church they played two movements that live alone in the musical world.

Performing in Canberra Strings were Barbara Jane Gilby, violin; Pip Thompson, violin; Lucy Carrigy-Ryan, viola, and Samuel Payne, cello.

The concert began with a delightful ekphrastic work by local composer Sally Greenaway. Titled “Murray and the Mountain”, after a painting of the same name by Arthur Streeton, it was full of flowing, sweeping smooth lines and pizzicatos representing ice and icicles.

This one movement atmospheric piece offered an aural representation of a painting that captures a vast area of the Snowy Mountains with the Murray River in the foreground. It perfectly caught in music, an alluring reflection of a dreamy painting of a unique part of Australia.

Written in 1871, Tchaikovsky’s D Major “String Quartet No. 1”, is one of a handful of chamber works the composer wrote. Known for his large-scale works, such as symphonies and ballets, but even his smaller works have that symphonic sound.

The first movement, “Moderato e semplice”, is somewhat hymn-like in passages. The players produced a fitting, even tone. Their intonation, clarity, and expression were sensuous and without fault.

Famous in its own right, the second movement, the “Andante cantabile” is based on a folk song. Reportedly, when the quartet was played at a tribute concert for Leo Tolstoy, the famous author broke into tears upon hearing it.

This oh-so-sublime movement with its plaintive folk tune woven throughout the texture of the work is nothing short of musical perfection.

The third movement Scherzo, “Allegro non tanto e con fuoco”, could also be a standalone work. It had profound tunes, pushing rhythms and strong solo moments. It created an intense atmosphere of musical complexity.

The finale, “Allegro giusto – Allegro vivace”, shined as Gilby performed some dazzling solo lines. Payne on cello played beautifully throughout, but especially in this movement where he had several unaccompanied moments. This music swirls, it sings and requires a quartet to have exceptional timing and balance and Canberra Strings did just that.

Alexander Borodin’s “Notturno” from his “String Quartet No. 2”, made for a sublime choice to end the concert. It mirrored the second movement from Tchaikovsky’s “String Quartet No. 1”. It’s a work that resounds with yearning.

Strategically placed on the mantelpiece behind the players sat a vase of bright sunflowers. As the national flower of Ukraine, they spoke loud and strong to the audience. The sound of this passionate music with the sunflowers in full view created a moving concert.

First published in Canberra City News, March 7, 2022

Riccardo Muti dedicates performance to people of Ukraine

Janine Marshman

Tuesday 1 March 2022 4:34pm

Video still: Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Conductor Riccardo Muti has dedicated a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to the people of Ukraine in a moving announcement on 24 February.

Ahead of the concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, of whom he is Music Director, Muti addressed the audience from the stage, which he said: "…should never be a space for political announcement or statements." However, he went on to acknowledge the people of Ukraine and the significance of this performance of Beethoven’s famous symphony with its "Ode to Joy" chorus:

"…we cannot play this symphony, dedicated to the joy and brotherhood, without thinking [of] the sufferings of the people of Ukraine."

The concert took place on the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine. Muti said "What we are seeing [on the] television is horrible" and recalled conducting a concert for friendship in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv a few years previously, where he found "wonderful, happy, people."

Beethoven’s "Ode to Joy" has been a marker of momentous events through history, including in a performance conducted by Leonard Bernstein in 1989 to mark the fall of the Berlin Wall. Muti highlighted Schiller’s text for the chorus "…he speaks about joy, joy, joy..." and said: 

"But we will think in that moment that joy without peace cannot exist."

Muti called for all in the concert hall to unite and send a message of support to the people of Ukraine and around the world: "And so, I hope that from this wonderful hall, from the orchestra, from the chorus, from you, a message should arrive to all the people, not only in Ukraine but in the world, are creating violence hate and [a] strange need for war, we are against all that."

In Germany, the Berlin Philharmonic has dedicated concerts this week of Mahler’s Second Symphony to those affected by the Russian attacks on Ukraine. Chief conductor, Kirill Petrenko, said on the orchestra’s website: "I am in complete solidarity with all my Ukrainian colleagues and can only hope that all artists will stand together for freedom, sovereignty and against aggression." In France, the Paris Philharmonic also dedicated their performance with the Démos Europe Orchestra to the people of Ukraine, as a moment of union in music.

These dedications came as elsewhere in the world music institutions also made moves to suspend ties with artists and companies connected with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Metropolitan Opera has expressed solidarity with Ukraine and said in a statement on its website: "...we can no longer engage with artists or institutions that support Putin or are supported by him — not until the invasion and killing has been stopped, order has been restored and restitutions have been made."

Conductor Valery Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev were replaced in performances with the Vienna Philharmonic at New York’s Carnegie Hall over the weekend. May performances at the hall with Gergiev conducting the Mariinsky Orchestra have also been cancelled, citing "...recent world events as well as ongoing challenges related to the global COVID-19 pandemic."

According to reports by the Associated Press Gergiev has been dropped by his management over his ties with Putin, and the Mayor of Munich has said he will remove Gergiev as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic if he does not publicly denounce the invasion of Ukraine. A similar request was made by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra ahead of its annual Gergiev festival planned for September

First published at ABC Classic, March 1, 2022