Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Town Hall. 26 April 2013
The ASO’s Master Series are usually wonderful musical events, and the first in the series for 2013 was no exception. The highlight of the programme was a superbly executed performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 5 by the young, but uber talented, English violinist Chloë Hanslip.
Hanslip found the ideal balance between the playful and almost rhapsodic aspects of the composition. The adagio second movement was especially beautiful and the seamless dialogue between Hanslip on violin and the orchestra’s Celia Craig on oboe was quite exquisite as they swapped responsibility for soaring sustained notes. Guest conductor Gérard Korsten can take some of the credit for that as well. Hanslip plays with her whole body, but not in a self-indulgent way – it is almost a dance and every section of the orchestra took turns in partnering her.
Hanslip delighted the appreciative audience with an encore of the Two Grasshopper Dances for solo violin by contemporary Latvian composer Peteris Plakidis.
The bookends to the programme were Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin and Medelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, and Korsten’s influence was palpable in both. He did not allow the strings to dominate the woodwind in the Ravel. Dean Newcomb was in fine form on clarinet, and Craig on oboe was again, superb.
I have never been sure whether the Mendelssohn is a crowd pleaser or not. It is expansive in its thematic material, and like the adagio in the Mozart, is passionate in parts – almost overemotional – but Korsten held it in check.
It was entirely appropriate for Korsten to re-gift his ‘thank you’ bouquet of flowers to Celia Craig at the final bows.
I note that all three pieces on the programme have been recently performed by the ASO: the Mozart in 2006, the Medelssohn in 2010, and the Ravel as recently as 2011. Surely we don’t need to revisit pieces that soon!
Kym Clayton
When: 26 to 27 Apr
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: bass.net.au
