44: The Review

Unfortunately the city’s major newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald, neglected to review the only new major work to be premiered by the Sydney Symphony in 2009, not to mention the first time Gautier Capuçon, one of the world’s shining new cellists, performed in Sydney.

However, the country’s national newspaper, The Australian, was there and published this review. I reprint the review in full below followed by an Aussie artist’s reply to just criticism.

Gordon’s Lightfall worth the wait

Murray Black | September 11, 2009

The Australian

Sydney Symphony. Conductor: Richard Gill. Cello: Gautier Capuçon. Horn: Robert Johnson. Sydney Opera Hall. September 9. Program repeated today. Tickets: $48. Bookings:(02) 8215 4600

As Bill Lawry might have said, it was all happening at this Sydney Symphony concert: the world premiere of a new Australian work, the Sydney debut of one of the world’s finest young cellists and yet more trials to try to overcome the problematic acoustics of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

The acoustic enhancements consisted of curved timber panels straddling the rings above the stage and straight timber boards rigged up at the side of the hall.

Although unsightly, they seemed to improve the clarity and richness of sound from where I was sitting in the middle of the circle.

However, they also had a slight dampening effect, reducing the ability for the sound to sparkle and glow.

The world premiere, Australian composer Christopher Gordon’s Lightfall for horn and orchestra, had a 10-year gestation.

It was a finely crafted, two-movement work that unfolded with seamless fluidity. Gordon displayed a sure sense of structure and a sophisticated understanding of the orchestral palette.

The dark-hued colours and stately pace of the opening movement were reminiscent of the slowly evolving soundworlds of Sculthorpe and Ross Edwards punctuated by echoes of Shostakovich (piercing snare drum snaps, rasping woodwind interjections) and Rautavaara (chiming percussion chords). The second movement offered greater rhythmic and dynamic contrasts. Rippling string figures and pungent woodwind sonorities dominated, although they wore the influence of John Adams (particularly Harmonielehre and Nixon in China) a little too heavily.

Lightfall was written for the Sydney Symphony’s principal horn, Robert Johnson. He proved to be a persuasive advocate.

Even though it is demanding, the solo part needs to sustain line and shape rather than execute dazzling virtuosic feats. Maintaining an appealing, clear-toned sound, Johnson etched out his floating figures above the ever-changing orchestral textures with impressive clarity and stamina.

The concert’s other soloist was young French cellist Gautier Capuçon, who made his Sydney debut in Dvorak’s much-loved concerto. His solo performance turned out to be as pleasing to the ear as his countenance obviously was to the young women who wolf-whistled him.

Capuçon ’s richly resonant timbre and strong vibrato was ideally suited to the work’s late Romantic idiom. Equally impressive was his forceful projection and agile passagework.

Unfortunately, the orchestra’s sometimes terse, jerky phrasing and occasionally grating woodwind sonorities undermined the concerto’s melodic inspiration and lyrical warmth.

Handel’s Concerto grosso, Op. 6 No. 3, opened the concert. Although well balanced and cleanly articulated, the performance needed more energy, rhythmic verve and interpretative adventurousness to rise above adequacy.

Melencolia I (Albrecht Dürer (1514)

I must say I found this to be a positive review of Lightfall and was very pleased by it. Any similarity to the first four composers mentioned is, I believe, coincidental rather than the result of influence. However, I could be wrong; I am familiar with all the composers and often one’s subconscious is more apparent to others than it is to oneself.

The reviewer is quite correct when he writes “…wore the influence of John Adams a little too heavily.” Adams has been a guiding light for me in recent years, particularly in his quest to incorporate the vernacular (as he calls the various forms of popular music in our world) into his concert music and his desire to connect with audiences.

During the rehearsals of Lightfall I was thinking that this was the last time I could allow Adam’s influence to be so pronounced, that I should recognize the concerto as a personal landmark and move on along the individual path that I am discovering so late in life. I do, however, think that the influence in Lightfall is more the Adams of the 90’s and 00’s than the mentioned works of the 80’s.

A good excuse for some YouTube clips!

By the way, do you think the headline, ‘Gordon’s Lightfall…’ is one of those horrible puns (Gordon Lightfoot) that media sub-editors seem to think are desirable, or is it simply coincidence…or am I seeing someone’s subconscious at work?