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Australian Music: Umberto Clerici Conducts Dvorak

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Umberto Clerici

Australian Music: Umberto Clerici Conducts Dvorak

Concert Hall

Sydney Opera Houseouase

September 18

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

In February 2022 as Auckland was coming out of Covid lockdown the Auckland Philharmonia gave a special performance in the Town Hall to 100 masked patrons. It was the orchestra’s first concert after nearly two years and the major work on the programme was Dvorak’s Symphony No 8, a joyful work sounding the relief after many days of seclusion.

Last week the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was playing the Dvorak symphony as part of their Tea & Symphony series which feature one-hour daytime orchestral performances at the Sydney Opera House complete with complimentary tea and biscuits.

The symphony is like the soundscape to a Czech epic tale with a mixture of nature, landscape, events and dancing, it is the music of adventures, heroics, and larger than life figures,

Like other composers of the period there is a strong element of nationalism to the music similar to the earlier works of Jean Sibelius’  such as “Finlandia” and Edward Greig’s “Peer Gynt Suites”.

The music is focused on the landscape and ethos of the country with Dvorak presenting changing moods and unfolding spectacle. He moves from the playful to the picaresque, from the dramatic to the contemplative. There is wit and there is angst all skilfully delivered by conductor Umberto Clerici.

After the honeyed tones of the opening and the sweetness of the flutes the orchestra erupted with joyous celebratory tones flecked with hints of drama. Then we heard bird-like sounds from the strings followed by some ferocious sounds from the percussion heralding a triumphant Nature.

The second movement featured a flowing dance sequence illuminated by woodwinds and flutes. Then after a mysterious segment there was another spritely dance sequence featuring strings, brass and woodwinds.

The third movement was full of shimmering sounds creating a spring-like impression full of joy followed by passages of dark foreboding while the fourth movement opens with a big, bold march tune which morphed into a sequence of Czech dance tunes such as the polka, Dvorak turning these simple melodies into clever musical inventions.

The final movement opens with commanding brass fanfare that is followed by the cello which introduced the lyrical main theme—a distinctly Czech melody consisting of wide-ranging variations which shift dynamically between moments of fiery, rustic energy and tender, introspective beauty.

The first work on the programme was Ligeti’s “Romanian Concerto“ which like Dvorak’s Symphony was a nationalistic work with the composer responding to the sounds of Romanian village band.

The work composed in1951 opens with a sweeping landscape common to many composers reacting to their country’s nationalist sympathies. The flute sounds hinting at the bright glint of light on water also suggested the dawn of a new era of modernist composition.

Then there were rousing sounds from the woodwinds referencing lively, dance themes as well as some quirky abrupt, sequences and some rustic sounds from the horns. There were also mysterious, restless passages with the sounds of gypsy strings which Legeti recalled from his youth.

The way in which he wrote the music of the village bands with a slight discordant sound was regarded by the authorities as incorrect and led to the work being banned for many years.

Future Sydney Symphony Orchestra concerts

October 30 – 31 Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Bryn Terfel

November 6 -8 Simone Young conducts Mozart & Bach

November 19 – 22 Simone Young conducts Gotterdammerung

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Australian music: Sydney Symphony Orchestra performs Mozart’s Requiem

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Stephen Lawton. Image: Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Mozart’s Requiem

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Sydney Opera House

September 9

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

The last performance of Mozart’s Requiem I heard was a couple of years ago at the Royal Albert Hall where there were close to two thousand choristers.

Sydney Philharmonic Choirs may have had only a tenth of that number in last nights performance with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra but under the direction of conductor Stephen Layton it delivered an intense, introspective interpretation which showed that size alone does not produce sonic brilliance.

The Requiem  may have been written for Count Franz von Walsegg but it always feels to have been written for Mozart himself.

The Latin text that he used would have been familiar to him as well as most Europeans of the day and it would have held meaning for the composer as well with four of his six children dying young

Is is the emotional drama of the music which is very much the composers as he reflects on his own life and mortality.

 From  the opening Introit, Mozart defines what is central to the work – lifes journey from uncertainty to renewal.

In the first sections, the Introit and Kyrie we have the first intimations of a heavenly voice with a brief appearance of soprano Samantha Clarke as well as hints of melancholia from the darker strings. Mozart then gives us an extraordinary change of pace with sonic punches from orchestra and choir with Dies Irae. This acknowledgment of the Day of Wrath with thunderous sounds was as powerful as any of his operatic moments.

This was followed by Tuba mirum where the soloists and their tenuous searching voices made us aware of the human figures in the work. Baritone Simon Meadows melancholic voice alerted us to the dark dimensions of life while Clarke and mezzanine Ashlyn Tymms gave us wondrous angelic sounds.

With the Rex tremendous the soloists and orchestra provided a beautifully  layered sound providing an emotional richness. Clarke seemed particularly engaged with her bright, focused voice

Mozart only wrote the first eight bars of Lacrimosa before he died (completed by his close  friend and pupil Xaver Sussmayr. It is a sumptuous piece which conveys human sadness with  mixture of lightness and despondency which the choir elegantly delivered.

The Sanctus which followed showed a  particularly forcefully choir and orchestra while in the Benedictus which followed  Tymms’ distinctive voice along with Clarke’s soured above the warm voices of tenor Andrew Goodwin and Meadows’s powerful baritone, the four voices intermingling in an elegant display.

With the beautifully crafted Agnus Dei the choir seemed to be searching for a new sound, their voices varying from the lightest of whispers to full crescendo but with the final Communio they embarked on the great drama which ended the work.

After interval the orchestra played Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams and John Rutter’s Gloria. The Vaughan Williams melancholic music which explores British landscape with sounds of the spirit rising to an apotheosis was rewarding while Rutter’s celebratory work was fine companion work to Mozart’s Requiem.

Stephen Lawton’s conducting throughout the work was crisp and controlled ensuring a nuanced sound from the orchestra and choir but his conducting became more agitated and demonstrative when the music required.

Future Sydney Symphony Orchstra concerts

October 30 – 31 Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Bryn Terfel

November 6 -8 Simone Young conducts Mozart & Bach

November 19 –  22 Simone Young conducts Gotterdammerung

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The NZSO’s Rhythm & Dance: infectious dance tunes of the Twentieth Century

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Gemma New

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Rhythm & Dance

Auckland Town Hall

September 5

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

The four works on the NZSO’s Rhythm & Dance programme were infused with dance music of the twentieth century, all linked to the music of the Jazz Era with dance tunes which were immediately recognizable with infective portraits of places and events.  

Ten years ago the Auckland Arts Festival presented a concert version of John Adam’s Nixon in China one of the great operatic works of the late twentieth century recounting the visit of President Nixon to the Republic of China in 1972 and his meeting with Mao Zedong.

The opera has several dance-like tunes and “The Chairman Dances” is an interlude with no singing that has been described by Adams as an “outtake” from the opera depicting Madame Mao gate-crashing a presidential banquet and performing a dance.

The percussion and woodwinds opened “The Chairman Dances” sequence before slowly building Adam’s minimalism sounds which featured a mixture of delicacy and robust sections.

The music relies on a clever mixture of percussion, bassoon, viola, along with an insistent, foxtrot rhythm with some bell–like sounds introduced Madame Mao along with music that referenced 1930s Chinese film music.

The work finished with a typical Adams percussion combination of piano, wood block and snare drum.

Conductor Gemma New responded to the music with her own flowing and floating gestures, notably in the animated fox trot sequence and the bell liken sounds which referenced Madame Mao’s early career as a film actress.

Patrick Barry

Copland’s “Clarinet Concerto” saw soloist Patrick Barry navigating the technical capabilities of the clarinet with a marvellous dexterity. After a soulful, filmic opening. his instrument soured above the orchestra, its bright sound weaving through the sounds of the orchestra.

There were sections where the clarinet captured the vast, open spirit of the American West and others where jazz was more dominant. Then there were passages when the orchestra seemed to be replicating the sounds of the clarinet and some boisterous sequences where the piano provided some gritty syncopation.

The orchestra and clarinet hurtled towards the finale with a fast and jazzy sounds, blending popular rhythms along with a reference to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Gabriela Ortiz ‘s “Anropolis” is a portrait of Mexico City, describing the sounds and energy of the dance halls and clubs of the city. Central to the performance was the wide range of percussion instruments which delivered an edgy, constantly evolving percussion background.

From the massive opening drum and brass displays the work moved to a high energy soundscape punctuated by flute and brass where waves of sounds were constantly interrupted by the drum soloist. The work transitioned through different musical styles, including traditional Mexican sounds, mambo, and experimental punk with the musicians briefly shouting out in unison in a nod to dance hall routines.

This was high velocity music with some hectic, playful sequences which the orchestra players and conductor appeared to relish.

The last work on the programme was the “Symphonic Dances from West Side Story” by American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Here, we get the ten-movement suite of orchestral music from West Side Story, with its recognizable tunes, familiar Latin rhythms and elements of jazz.

From the rhythmic finger snapping used by the Jets and the Sharks during the opening instrumental sequences through the jazzy dance sequences and the romantic interludes the music captured the spirit of New York.

The music has its emotional centre in the wholesomeness of Tony and Maria’s relationship conveyed by “Somewhere”, but it was shattered by the dark hatred of their environment and the gangs conveyed by the gangland themes.

Throughout the work Bernstein cleverly changes the pace of the music the high energy and jazzy sequences contrasting with the romantic scenes of the two lovers.

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Simon O’Neill and Pietari Inkinen shine in NZSO’s Radiance

Simon O’Neill Photo: Phoebe Cassidy / NZSO

Radiance

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Conductor: Pietari Inkinen

Tenor: Simon O’Neill

Auckland Town Hall

August 21

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Normally one has to wait till either the Wellington or Auckland Arts festivals brings together a couple of international stars, but the NZSO Radiance concert brought together conductor Pietari Inkinen and tenor Simon O’Neill provided an exceptional linking of two international stars along with an inspirational NZSO.

Both O’Neill and Inkinen have become international names in concerts hall around the world, regarded as Wagner specialists.

With the eerie green light projected onto the Town Hall’s organ pipes, the vast array of instruments on stage and a sold-out performance the concert promised to be a major event. And it was.

Out of the huge orchestra came the initial light tones of the Tannhauser Overture which slowly increased in volume and within a few minutes came the full force and musical energy of Wagner’s music under the baton of Pietari Inkinen

 Carefully shaping the orchestral sound, revealing the brilliance of the music, he made the audience aware of all the hallmarks of Wagner. Mystery, myth, magical spaces, human sacrifice and redemption. Linking the heroic past to contemporary German nineteenth century German religious ideas and nationalism.

It was several minutes into the music that O’Neil entered, bemoaning his condition. His distinctive voice rising above the sounds of the orchestra.

While the workbegins with the quiet, noble hymn representing redemption and faith it soon erupts into swirling, chromatic agitation depicting sensual temptation.

This was music that followed the ideas of the composer – the total work of art with richly orchestrated music, dramas driven by recurring, psychologically shifting leitmotifs and extreme chromatic harmony. It was music which emphasised the ideas of aspiration, regeneration, hope and nobility.

O’Neill fiercely conveyed the idea of a hero struggling against forces beyond his control, with his sharp angular movements and gestures as well as focussed singing.

Under Inkinen’s direction the NZSO provided a perceptive clarity to the music, sensitive to the singing of O’Neill and providing the emotional depth to the unfolding narrative.

There was drama and violence as well as calm and sweetness to the O’Neill’s voice and he demonstrated his total control, his posture, gestures and all his movements seemed natural and he was the embodiment of the Tannhauser, providing a nuanced depiction of the hero.

A Wagner performance is dependent on the role of the conductor, who needs to understand the music’s structure appreciate the connection between singers and the music and is able to balance the needs of the orchestra and the singers.

Pietari Inkinen Photo: Phoebe Cassidy / NZSO

Central toTannhäuser is the exploration on the deep, conflictbetween carnal desire and spiritual purity which prevents Tannhäuser from achieving a psychological wholeness. Rather than a simple moral tale of sin and repentance, it is also Wagners attempt to reconcile his own attempt to understand his own ego driven life and the fate of German ideas.

O’Neill approached the role with immense commitment, his tenor voice powerful and his projection flawless. He maintained an intense, radiant quality particularly in the lengthy Rome narrative section as well his farewell to Venus.

His singing, from the quiet, noble passages representing redemption and faith, through the swirling chromatic agitation depicting sensual temptation of the Venusberg section was always focussed.

Parsifal opens with an achingly beautiful prelude where out of silence, a simple melody emerges, played by the strings, and seems to hover there creating a sense of otherworldliness and later adding grandeur and nobility.

Many of the work’s motifs notably those associated with the Grail and the Spear as well as abstract ideas like sorrow and faith, shame and torment are revealed in the music — the restless string rhythms and shifting harmonies always searching for resolution.

The success of Parsifal relies heavily on an orchestra and conductor appreciating the needs of the soloist and the way Wagner’s music supports the singer and O’Neill was able to balance heroic aspects of the role along with his anguished search for redemption.

The audience was provided with the German text and a translation but only those near to the stage would have had sufficient illumination to read the words. Providing surtitles has become essential for any opera production and should have been available for the Radiance concert.

Just because Bayreuth doesn’t provide surtitles doesn’t mean audiences around the world have to make do without them as well.

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NZTrio’s Space Jump

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Somi Kim, Amalia Hall and Matthias Balzat

NZ Trio, Space Jump

Auckland Concert Chamber

August 16

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

The title of the NZTrio’s latest concert came from the first work on the programme – Fazil Say’s “Space Jump for piano trio”. The Turkish composer, Say wrote the work having witnessed the Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner jump from a balloon 39 kilometres above the New Mexico desert. His descent time was 9 minutes and 3 seconds making him the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall without vehicle power.

The work which is like the soundtrack to a film of the event described the action of the ascent, the jump, the descent and the  parachute landing.

Ater a short introduction of several sharp sounds the music took on a free, floating tone suggesting the emptiness and soundlessness of the ascent with the occasional music hint at an inherent danger.

Halfway through the piece the cello and violin suggest an almost spectral sound before the climatic sounds of the descent, dramatic and relentless, Amalia Hall energetically plucking at the strings of her violin and the trilling of the piano captured the idea of the billowing parachute and the stillness of its descent

The trio gave an intense sonic performance which required aggressive attacks, precise harmonising, and rhythmic strength with the piano, violin, and cello cleverly creating the sense of being in Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Reena Esmail’s Piano Trio stems from her Indian immigrant background with the threads of Western and Eastern music blending her interest in Hindustani music as well as that of Mendelssohn and Shostakovich.

Each of the four movements has displayed an element of the classical Indian raga which generally provided a melodic framework for improvisation.

The first movement has a particularly light quality with shimmering sounds from each of the instruments and they each seemed to be chasing an elusive sound. There were shifting dynamics between the three instruments where the subtle textures slowly morphed into raga melodies, integrating with the classical. The music was full of tremolos, slides and taut harmonies which created a sense of timelessness.

There were sparkling and watery sounds with a flowing movement along with some exuberant playing by the violin and cello while Somi Kim produced multiple runs on the piano.

The third movement hints at Mendelssohn and Shostakovich whose has been important to her and in the final movement there is a rising, intricate string melody, shimmering over over the piano work, which the led to a passage where the instruments seem to be at odds with each other before moving into a dreamlike conclusion.

The New Zealand composer Keith Moss write his “Field notes in Autum” about his living in Wellington in Autumn.

This was a truly atmospheric piece conveying many elements of Wellingtons weather and its changing light. There is a flurry of rain in the opening moments of the piece before suggestions of fleeting clouds, rain sweeping across hills along with the creeping chill of a Wellington day.

This is a sombre Wellington, dark and brooding but with flashes of sunlight dancing on the houses and hills.

The final, and major work on the programme was Schumann’s “Piano Trio No 2” which is essentially a love letter to Clara Schumann.

It was passionate and intense from the opening moments with the violin and cello in an ardent and rapid conversation. Light notes from the violin were answered with denser sounds from the cello.

The work is not just a conversation, it also conveyed the passion and drama of the couple’s relationship. With the light quivering of the violin and the richer reflections of the cello.

The second movement was less passionate and more contemplative surrounded by bursts of excitement. It is as though Schumann is seeing the relationship with more depth and understanding.

Throughout the piece violin and cello were well integrated, answering each other’s tentative questions with musing and meditations.

Somi Kim’s piano provided an ideal setting for the two strings as well as adding depth to the instruments. Violin and cello also responded to the piano giving some cheery and frothy accompaniment. Before leading to the climactic finish with some rapid intersections and mingling of voices.

As with all their concerts the trio demonstrated why they are such an innovative group programming a mix of classic and contemporary works along with New Zaland and international compositions which challenge, entertain and surprise.

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The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s stylish Winter Season

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoplea

Birthday Offering – Mayu Tanigaito and Laurynas Vejalis Image: Stephen A’Court

Royal New Zealand Ballet

Winter Season

Aotea Centre

July 23 – 25.

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Winter Season featured a triple bill featuring and two contemporary ballets, and the premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton’s more classical, Birthday Offering.

Ashton was the principal architect of the “English style” of classical ballet and choreographed Birthday Offering in 1956 for The Royal Ballet’s 25th anniversary, Birthday Offering. The ballet was originally a tribute to fourteen of its premiere dancers which included New Zealand ballet legend Dame Rowena Jackson along with Dame Margot Fonteyn.

Danced to Alexander Glazunov’s waltzing music the work demands perfection and precision and that is what the dancers delivered.

The seven female dancers each danced sequences which displayed their various talents and took inspiration from the Glazunov score. One of the dancers performed like a clockwork Coppelia, another gave a display of gentle, relaxed limbs while another presented a more romantic approach.

The seven dancers handled all the intricacies of the dance with a calm serenity, all using their body, arms and legs expressively.

Their displays presented what amounted to a primer of modern classical dance which they performed with technical virtuosity and panache.

When the female dancers partnered with their male partners both dancers became more animated and expressive but there was not the engaging emotionalism one might have seen later– not the sort of dancing seen between Fonteyn and Nureyev

There were some stylish vignettes, there was elegance and beauty, but it was too formal with a lack of heart.

This was simple ballet staged cleanly and stylishly in colourful mid-length gowns (Kenneth Rowell) that bounced along to the spritely footwork.

Ultra Folly – Jemima Scott and Kirby Selchow Image: Stephen A’Court

Sarah Foster-Sproull’s Ultra Folly opened with the dancers appearing to communicate with each other using their own form of semaphore in a homage to the choreographer Crystal Pite. Then, dancing to La Folie, music from the seventeenth century but played by Jordi Savilo and Hyperion XXI, they displayed a range of engaging dance routines with sharp moves and gesturers, mirroring the music and exploring the notion of communication.

Their dancing took inspiration from a range of sources varying from the courtly dance of the seventieth century to Highland dance while at other times their dancing evolved from the chance encounter on the street to the meeting of two lovers.

Then there were the more elaborate group interactions, the dancers appearing create hieroglyphics or an elaborate signing system and they became bound up in their intricate dance movements.

The almost tactile music was reflected in the dance at times as it morphed from the mechanical to the sensual.

Stand to Reason Image: Stephen A’Court

South African Andrea Schermoly’s Stand to Reason which was the more political of the three works took inspiration from the pamphlet “Ten Reasons Why A Woman Should Vote” written by Kate Shephard in 1888 in which women had to clearly convince, explain and justify their right to political participation.

The text of the pamphlet was projected onto a screen behind the all-female dance ensemble who were dressed in black tunics which referenced the women of Sparta, or the Amazons as well as a nod to the various black clad New Zealand sports teams.

The notion of the strong woman was also highlighted in the way that the dancers confronted the audience often fixed their gaze on us.

The dancers performed the roles of support and impetus normally taken by male dancers and while much of their movements had an aggressive quality with great physicality this was tempered by more subtle gestures.

In the final sequence of the work danced to the music of Beethoven the intensity of the dancing increased as the volume of the music increased with raw energy, breast beating and frenetic dancing. The dancers seemed to be struggling against unseen forces as they broke the bonds restraining them just as the sound system seemed close to imploding.

While the music by Johann Paul von Westhoff, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Marin Marais, drove the work, the choice of male composers seemed at odds with the feminist nature of the work.

In two of the works the lighting played a significant part with the surreal lighting of Daniel Wilson in Ultra Folly and the minimalist approach by Andrew Lees in Stand to Reason.

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The dynamic energy of violinist Benjamin Beilman playing Mendelelsshon

Reviewed John Daly-Peoples

Image Sav Schulman

Mendelssohn’s Violin

Auckland Philharmonia

Conductor Giordano Bellincampi
Violinist, Benjamin Beilman

Auckland Town Hall

July 16

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

The major work on the programme was Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, a w ork that he had spent nearly ten years writing. While he adhered to the classical style of Beethoven, he also introduced much of the romantic ethos which leads on to the music of Brahms. In several ways he broke with tradition such as having the violin make an instant introduction to the work. Then there is no break between the first and second movements, with a bassoon note held between the two sections and the work also calls on the soloist to function as an accompanist to the orchestra for extended periods.

Benjamin Beilman opened the turbulent first movement with a relentless vigour responding urgently to the orchestra and conductor. At times his playing was raw, almost visceral revealing the passionate aspect of the work while at other times he exposed the delicate and sensual elements of the music with his playing being little more than a whisper.

He seemed very much in control tackling the work with lively self-confidence, even the passages which Mendelssohn must have written to technically challenge the performer were effortlessly disposed of.

The dynamic energy he put into the playing showed that he not only had an understanding of the technical aspects of the works but also an appreciation of the works emotional impact.

In the second movement with its restful mood there were passages where he was dominated by the orchestra as though sinking under the weight of the music, but this changed when his playing erupted, cutting through the sounds of the orchestra with an insistent voice

In the third movement in which many of the motifs of the first movement were restated he displayed a playful jousting engagement with the orchestra in a very physical manner.

Throughout he managed to conjure up some graceful, unforced tones with crisp articulation heightening the romantic sweep of the music, discovering the emotional depths of the music.

In the more lyrical passages, he seemed to dance with the joy of the work while in the final celebratory section his playing became feverish as he skirmished with the orchestra.

For his encore Beilman played the J.S. Bach Violin Partita No. 3 in E major,with a joyous, and uplifting approach to the dance-inspired work.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, is an intriguing transitional work which he composed in 1802, when he was having to confront his looming deafness. Even though this may have been something which dominated his life with the symphony is optimistic and lively.

Throughout the work one got a sense of the composer experimenting with contracts and drama and there are hints of his later symphonic works which the conductor, Giordano Bellincampi revealed. While the much of the work displayed the impact of Haydn on his composing, it was the innovative and novelty of the composer which shone through.

The opening work for the programme was Schubert’s overtures “in the Italian style” composed in 1817 when “Rossini fever” was sweeping through Vienna. The work is full of effervescent energy, and charming melodies, as the composer paid homage the Iight-hearted Italian operatic style.

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From Scratch: Songs for Unsung Heroes

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

From Scratch: Songs for Unsung Heroes

A film by John Pain

Academy Cinema

July 24 7.00pm (one night only)

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

From Scratch: Songs for Unsung Heroes is a new film of From Scratch performing at St Davids church in Auckland earlier this year produced, directed and edited by John Pain.

The film also includes two shorter works from the same event of the ensemble accompanying video art from two of Aotearoa’s leading practitioners; Black Moon by Teresa Peters, and Metroplex II by Gregory Bennett.

The five members of From Scratch (Phil Dadson, Adian Croucher, Shane Curry, Darryn Harkness and Chris O’Conner) play their assorted instruments ranging from standard musical instruments such as the melodia (keyboard harmonica) used by Phil Dadson to the hand-crafted instruments like the PVC piping which have been central to the group’s activities.

The instruments produce a range of percussive sounds, which help create a sonic ambience somewhere between the primitive and the highly sophisticated.

The words of Songs for Unsung Heroes are sung in a monotone and at a pace determined by the players. The low sounds of the song are not clear but fit well within the ambience created by the musicians like a musical drone adding to the mystery and power of the work.

“Let us sing for unsung heroes, Those who lay their dreams aside. Sing a song for unsung heroes, Sing from sea to shining sea. Sing the song of liberty.”

The enjoyment and novelty of a From Scratch performance is from the seemingly uncoordinated waves and ripples of sounds which are created by the group who appear to concentrate on their individual instruments, but they are in fact intricately linked, their individual sounds and rhythms merging and diverging in surprising and innovative ways.

At times each of the players seems to be in a trance-like state focussed on their own individual instrument but through their performance are producing a soundscape which contributes to a breathing and heaving structure.

The endless variety of sounds, rhythms and movements has its visual equivalent in the two films which make use of Gregory Bennet’s animated films which explore a synthetic world, using high-end 3D animation. These endless parades of figures performing within an Escher- like environment, morphing into various patterns and creating weird environments mirrors the sounds of the music.

Songs for Unsung Heroes is focused on the performers as much as their playing. Their concentration seems to suggest that their focus is on inner linked patterns and rhythmic fields.

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“La Mer”, the impressionist sounds of the National Youth Orchestra

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Coucher de soleil à Pourville, pleine mer (1882) Claude Monet

National Youth Orchestra

NYO La Mer

Conductor, Dane Lam

Auckland Town Hall

July 4

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

The NZSO National Youth Orchestra’s concert “La Mer” was a celebration of the sea with four works, spanning two centuries exploring various aspects of the sea – descriptive, psychological and historical

The orchestra was led by the Australian-Chinese conductor Dane Lam the recently appointed Music Director of the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of State Opera South Australia.

As Lam noted in his introduction to the concert these young musicians were the future of New Zealand music playing music of our time including music of New Zealand itself

They opened the concert with a new New Zealand work which spoke of the sea and the country’s connection with it.

Jack Bewley’s “Pray for the wanderer” is, as the composer says, “an ode to the courage it takes to … travel vast distances to our country”.

The opening drum roll which heralded thunder was followed by some glorious music from the orchestra reflecting the wonder and mystery of the sea voyage. The blare of the brass and the hectic percussion with some great surging sounds explored the movement of the sea as well as the movement of those who journeyed across the oceans.

The second work on the programme was one of the great atmospheric works – Four Sea Interludes by Benjamin Britten from his opera “Peter Grinmes” written in 1945. Grimes, afisherman in a small coastal town, is accused of mistreating his apprentice, who has died under mysterious circumstances at sea. He is a temperamental outcast, alienated from the local people with the moody music reflecting his character. Britten also depicts the nature of the weather and the sea as active elements in the story leading to the death of Grimes.

The opening section “Dawn”consisting of a high-pitched, desolate sound which is threaded though the swells of the sea as well as the early morning calm provided a sinister quality to the work. This was followed by “Sunday Morning” where the orchestra produced glittering sounds which described the sunshine and the sounds of sea birds.  We also heard the cacophony of church bells, referencing happier times of the village which also contrasts with the darker sounds of the work.  

The impressionist “Moonlight” movementhad some pulsating sounds which were both sounds of the sea and the heavy breathing of Grimes suggested an unease beneath the swell of the sea and the surface of the village

The final movement “Storm” featured aggressive percussion and brass describing the mummering and heaving of the sea which became more thunderous, eventually exploding in raging storm sequence which hints at the fury of both the weather and the fury of the villagers.

After the interval they played Michael-Thomas Foumai’s Kealaikahiki Suite which recounts the 1976 maiden voyage of Hōkūleʻa, a replica of an ancient Polynesian voyaging canoe to Tahiti as well as honouring the master navigator Mau Piailug. 

The work was cinematic in scale in which the sea and activities merge, occasionally recalling the music of Douglas Lilburn’s “Landfall in Unknown Seas”.

The rousing music suggested the thrill of the sea and voyaging and the sense of adventure and the activities of the seafarers. There were other sequences which conveyed the majesty and breadth of the sea with some superb musicianship.

The final robust sequence sounded like a theme from an Indianna Jones movie leading to another energetic depiction of the sea

Much of Debussy’s music can be considered impressionist because it reflects the same goals of Impressionist artists such as Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne. Rather than using the structural elements of traditional classical music, he focused on evoking mood and atmosphere.

He avoided calling “La Mer” a symphony but rather giving it the subtitle of Three Symphonic Sketches. These three sketches are impressions of the sea in its various mood and colours in much the same way that the Impressionist painters conveyed their reactions to nature and its landscapes or seascapes

One of Debussy’s favourite artists apart from the Impressionist was the English artist J.M.W. Turner whom he admired for the way in which he dealt with light and hazy landscape depictions as well as the drama of light and shade.

With the first movement, “De l’aube à midi sur la mer” the orchestra conveyedthe sense of the seas awakening with voluptuous waves of sound. The various sections of the orchestra took on the variety of colours and textures of the sea, swelling and receding. The music captured the physicality of the sea, much as the way the artists used dashes and strokes of paint, Debussy used short, jazzy-like sequences of sound.

This was followed by “Jeux de vagues” with lively playing producing a wide range of loosely connected sounds, like a myriad of splashes depicting the changeable motion and moods of the sea

With the final “Dialogue du vent et de la mer” the orchestra created a   dialogue between the wind and the turbulent sea with dramatic contrasts between the surging orchestral sounds. Here the orchestra had a sequence of meditation followed by a final surge of muscular sounds.

The orchestra showed in this concert that it has the musical talent and a depth of understanding of the music which will see a great future for some individual musicians as well as New Zealand orchestras.

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Reviews, News and Commentary

Mt Eden Chamber Music Festival 2026

John Daly-Peoples

2025 Beethoven quartet – Simeon Broom, Jessica Oddie, Gillian Ansell, Ken Ichinose

Mt Eden Chamber Music Festival

Eden Arts

Mt Eden Village Centre Church

July 2 – 5

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Now in its tenth year the Mt Eden Chamber Music Festival organised by the local community arts group, Eden Arts has presented high quality performances by some of the country’ s leading musical groups and major talent including NZ Trio and NZ Barok.

These concerts have been programmed by Simeon Broom, the Festival’s Artistic Director who is a violinist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Cathy Manning of Eden Arts.

 CONCERT 1 – THURSDAY 2 JULY 7pm

Dedicated to Mary O’Brien

Boccherini – Cello Quintet in D minor Op.25 & Schubert – Cello Quintet D.956

Featuring violinists Simeon Broom and Jessica Oddie

The Boccherini Cello Quintet in D minor, Op. 25, No. 1 is a supreme example of the galante classical style. It opens with an expressive slow opening with a stately, almost operatic feel and some virtuosic play.

There is also a graceful minuet that embodies the courtly elegance of the era, paired with a contrasting trio section. And finishes with a spirited, dance-like conclusion.

The Schubert – Cello Quintet is regarded as one of the absolute pinnacles of chamber music. Completed in 1828 just two months before the composer’s death. It is the composers only full-fledged string quintet and has been called “sublime” and “extraordinary” been said to possess “bottomless pathos”, and is generally regarded as Schubert’s finest chamber work as well as one of the greatest compositions in all chamber music. 

 CONCERT 2 – FRIDAY 3 JULY 7pm

Alyssa Morris – The Big Questions (2024)

Charles Loeffler – Deux Rhapsodies (1901)

Janet Jennings – Five Emotional States (2025)

TRIO OBSCURA

Trio Obscura – Robert Ashworth, Sarah Watkins and Bede Hanley (trio so-named because very little has been written for oboe, viola and piano).

Bede Hanley, Robert Ashworth and Sarah Walkins

TRIO OBSCURA’s name was inspired by the somewhat unusual combination of instruments that comprise the ensemble: as it turns out, very little has been written for oboe, viola, and piano. Five Emotional States was written especially for TRIO OBSCURA’s 2026 In Partnership Series tour for Chamber Music New Zealand.

Alyssa Morris’s “The Big Questions” is a poignant reflection on the uncertainties of our time. Morris’s virtuosic writing and characteristic wit are ever-present, yet at its heart lies a search for peace and understanding.

Written a century earlier, Charles Loeffler’s “Deux Rhapsodies” are richly coloured and dramatic tone poems that capture the atmosphere and imagination of French Impressionism.

Janet Jennings’ “Five Emotional States” is intended to be fun to play and entertaining for audiences, with its quixotic changes of mood, and journeys between atonality and downright tunefulness.

 CONCERT 3 – SATURDAY 4 JULY 5pm

Remembering Katherine Austin

Bach – E major Partita for solo violin

Schumann – Fantasiestücke Opus 73 for cello and piano

Prokofiev – Piano Sonata No.3 in A minor, Opus 28

Rachmaninov – Vocalise Opus 34 No.14

Dvorak – Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Opus 81 (1st mvmt)

A Garland for Katherine (2025)

(KATHERINE AUSTIN)

Andrew Leithwick – a little bit a bit

Helen Bowater – Ludwig, Katherine and me

Janet Jennings – Expressivo

Michael Williams – Effervescence

Peter Scholes – A Shining Star

Gillian Whitehead – S

Known for its joyful character Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E major for Solo Violin, composed in 1720, is the final work in his famous Sei Solo collection.

Robert Schumann’s Fantasiestücke originally composed in 1849 for clarinet and piano, is a staple of the cello repertoire. This three-movement cycle—highly lyrical, contrasting, and continuous in spirit—is widely celebrated for its warm, intimate dialogue between the two instruments.

Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in A minor of 1917 was composed for solo piano, using sketches dating from 1907. It is one of the shortest but most technically demanding pieces in the piano repertoire. Written in a single, continuous movement, the work is a compressed tour de force that flawlessly balances aggressive, mechanical rhythms with profoundly lyrical and romantic interludes.

Rachmaninov’s “Vocalise” is a song written for high voice and piano accompaniment. It contains no words, being sung using only one vowel of the singer’s choosing but is performed in various instrumental arrangements more frequently than in the original vocal version.

Antonín Dvořák’s Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81 (1887) is a pillar of the chamber music repertoire. The first movement (Allegro, ma non tanto) is celebrated for its warm, lyrical melodies and expressive shifts between melancholic folk influences and bright, romantic passion.

 CONCERT 4 – SUNDAY 5 JULY 3pm

Ravel – Sonata for Violin & Cello

Beethoven – Eyeglass Duo for Viola & Cello

Dohnányi – String Trio Op.10

Maurice Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello (1920–1922) is a lean, masterfully challenging chamber piece dedicated to the memory of Claude Debussy. Spanning four movements, the work strips away harmonic padding to pit the two instruments against one another in a brilliant, virtuosic, and contrapuntal display

Beethoven – Eyeglass Duo for Viola & Cello refers to two performers who wear glasses. It is unclear who else the short-sighted violist Beethoven might have been referring to other besides himself. Perhaps it is his friend Zmeskall. In any case, it must have been an accomplished musician, as the cello part is demanding throughout.

Serenade for String Trio in C major, Op. 10 (1902) by Hungarian composer Ernő Dohnányi is a masterpiece of the chamber music repertoire. Celebrated for its rich textures, virtuosic demands, and lyrical warmth, the five-movement suite beautifully balances late-Romantic spirit with dynamic, modern twists.

2025 Beethoven quartet – Simeon Broom, Jessica Oddie, Gillian Ansell, Ken Ichinose

Trio Obscura – Bede Hanley, Robert Ashworth, Sarah Watkins (trio so-named because very little has been written for oboe, viola and piano).