Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. St Peter’s Cathedral. 19 Apr 2013
The ASO’s Icons in Sound series for 2013 kicked off with an inspiring programme of minimalist spiritual music composed by James MacMillan, Arvo Pärt and Australia’s very own Brett Dean. Conductor Benjamin Northey briefed the large audience from the podium and told us that all four compositions were inspired by mediaeval religious chant but were all written within the last thirty years. In my mind, at least two of the four pieces are destined to be played again and again for years to come and will ultimately become classics in their own right. Which two? Read on.
MacMillan’s fanfare Exultet was an extraordinary piece for brass. It is structured so that the players can improvise, at least in the beginning; they choose when to enter as well as the duration of their phrases and sustained notes. The music is harsh and disturbing. It builds in complexity and volume as instruments enter one by one culminating in an alarming climax that resolves itself in silence followed by a sequence of powerful and satisfying harmonious chords. For me, the piece was very much a narrative of order and hope emerging out of chaos, and the ambience of the cathedral was the perfect space in which to experience it.
The other bookend of the programme was Brett Dean’s unusual Carlo, which is scored for strings, sampler and tape. The piece toyed with and dissected a sixteenth century madrigal composed by Gesualdo. Never heard of him you say? Neither had I but I don’t feel sufficiently stirred to seek out his music any further. Dean’s composition however is imaginative, interesting and stimulating and leaves you feeling as if you have been on an aural trip through time. On tape we hear Gesualdo’s madrigal Moro Lasso as written, and then Dean mutates it rhythmically and tonally. He introduces sampled sounds from nature and the whole piece takes on a different character. Cacophony struggled to become order.
In between the MacMillan and Dean however was the incomparable Arvo Pärt, who never wastes a note or a moment of silence. Fratres for string orchestra and percussion was beautifully played. Northey ensured the performance was clearly articulated and, in the fine acoustic of the cathedral, we luxuriated in being able to clearly hear every section, every instrument, and every musical phrase, with exquisite clarity.
Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam for Benjamin Britten was the highlight of the evening. It is serenely meditative, deeply satisfying and quite transporting. Northey would seem to have an affinity for Pärt – the result was never self-conscious and always balanced. An oasis of peace, contemplation and tranquillity at the end of a busy week.
So, which two? Those by Pärt of course.
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: St Peter’s Cathedral
Bookings: Closed
