OBSERVER: An Evening of Fairy Tales
What is a symphony orchestra? It’s a symphonia, a “sounding together” of musicians and their instruments. That is our very own Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
MSO’s current season at the Hamer Hall is an inclusive mix over several individual concerts with the first recital offering being An Evening of Fairy Tales.
Under Conductor Alpesh Chauhan, works by composers, Humperdinck, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky, with highlights from well-known Fairy Tales, be it Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
Prior to the performance an MSO speaker spoke of recent purchases, a new handmade concert harp from Lyon and Healy Harps in Chicago, new tubular bells and a glockenspiel, all adding to the sonic resources of the orchestra.
Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel opened the recital with the Prelude, ever so quietly with the horns raising the tempo playing the Evening Prayer theme then to a somewhat subdued climax before ending in a recapitulation of the Evening Prayer particularly with wind and brass. All as the curtain rises when played for a full Opera.
Before interval a ballet suite from Cinderella Act II, composed by Prokofiev. Evidence that Prokofiev wanted Cinderella to be as ‘danceable’ as possible was clearly evident in the individual dances of Cinderella’s modulating tempo waltz to the Prince’s more vivace movement.
Highlight was the final Waltz-Coda that took us to the Tubular Bells chiming and the clock ticking to the inevitable midnight.
The final repertoire that of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, said to be one of Tchaikovsky’s most engaging compositions, commenced with the Prologue, followed by various sets, Aurora’s Christening, the Rose Adagio with the pure sound of the new harp, The Awakening and finally The Wedding from Act III.
It opened with the resounding March, the gentle rhythm of the Jewel Faries Par de Quatre to the grandeur of the full Orchestra’s Finale.
Conductor Chauhan’s physicality with body and baton was exceptional while being matched by the versatility of MSO’s highly talented musicians.
Visit mso.com.au for full details of the MSO season.
Review by Graeme McCoubrie