This was a special occasion for Geelong, in as much as the younger string players from the district were the guest artists in the second half of this concert. Opening the evening, Bach’s A minor Violin Concerto, soloist Katherine Lukey, was a lively, if at times sometimes restrained affair. The overall ensemble was impeccable, and the soloist played with finesse, her rather light timbre carrying well in the sympathetic acoustic. However, the over 300 members of the audience tended to absorb some of the higher partials and so deaden the sound at times. The broad strokes of the slow movement were beautifully contoured, while the dance quality of the finale was light and supple.
Of particular interest was the Don Quixote 7 movement work of Telemann, led by co-director Paul Wright. The imaginative string writing by this prolific Baroque composer was most effective in depicting some of the adventures of the crazy hero; tilting at windmills, Sancho Panza tossed in a blanket, and the fine blending of solo violinist, William Hennessy and violist Stefanie Farrands in the love song addressed to Dulcinea. The lame horse was most effectively portrayed.
British composer Douglas Weiland’s Concerto 290 in A minor was inspired by the Bach work above. Here, some of the 18th C style, re-directed and angular in its contrapuntal gestures, came across in the first movement. The slow movement was quite lyrical, and the texture more dense. The Finale brought back the rhythmic drive one associates with the older composer, and the Stravinsky-like patterns finally melted away, the music leading to a positive, uncluttered end. The complex score was capably directed by Michael Dahlenburg, 1st cellist in the MCO.
Co-Director, Paul Wright, along with Mark Irwin of Geelong College, Esther Benjamin, MCO manager, and Wendy Galloway, worked with several young local string players to study 2 short works of Sibelius, recently discovered by William Hennessy. The result was an inspiration, and the massed strings produced a sonorous and memorable performance. It is to be hoped that such a collusion of talents can be repeated.
The concert ended with a heart-felt reading of Tchaikovsky’s beautiful Serenade for Strings opus 48. The familiar melodies & textures were brought to life, with an encore of the favourite Waltz movement. The committee of the GCMS Inc. are to be congratulated on encouraging such a large and responsive audience to participate in such a memorable event.
Malcolm John