The Meeting House, Pirie Street - 22 Nov
The classy Adelaide based Zephyr Quartet comprises Belinda Gehlert(lead violin), Emily Tulloch (violin), Lilian-Terri Dahlenburg (viola) and Hilary Kleinig (cello, and the group’s artistic director). They are a fusion of contemporary and classical–in their looks and their musicality. Their programming is versatile, cutting edge and provocative.
Greta Bradman (yes, the grand-daughter of ‘the Don’) is a thrilling young award winning soprano who is also going places. She inhabits the songs she sings and becomes one with them. Her interpretations are evocative and moving.
This evening’s concert was entitled Australian Landscapes and consisted entirely of modern works by living composers – something of a rarity. The generous programme notes make it clear that the inspiration behind all of the pieces is the Australian landscape itself. Even without being told this, there was a sense of unity in the programme, and all compositions – with the exception of Gehlert’s own composition ‘Ewens Ponds’ – had a centre that was not of a European tradition. Melisande Wright’s ‘Arid’ blended short detached phrases with lyrical song-like lines on the cello. Stephen Whittington’s ‘Windmill’ imitated the sounds and rhythms of the windmill which “...is a distinctive marker on human habitation in the Australian outback”. 
The creaking and repetitive yet evocative monotony was almost too much to bear. This contrasted with the richness of Peter Sculthorpe’s String Quartet No.12 which was superbly played with a laconic crispness and carefully controlled dynamics. The economy of the musical material in Hilary Kleinig’s ‘Nautilus’ gave it an uncluttered simplicity which begged for development. ‘Ewens Ponds’ concluded the evening with lush and expansive melodies and provided a needed contrast to all the austerity that preceded it.
Bradman, elegantly dressed in a long strapless black gown, sang Natalie Williams’ ‘The Twilight of Disquietude’ and Paul Stanhope’s song cycle ‘Sea Chronicles’, and both allowed her to show the strength and beauty of her voice. The natural resonance of the venue sometimes overly blended her voice with that of the quartet and some clarity was lost, but not so in the song cycle. The delivery of the last song ‘The Swimmer’ was spine tingling.
This concert was unsettling – it was not a ‘comfortable night out’. Everything demanded to be listened to – really listened to. It was strangely refreshing.
Kym Clayton
