Australian Brandenburg Orchestra | Bach’s Orchestral Suites
28 Mar, 2025, City Recital Hall, Sydney, NSW
Paul Dyer Artistic Director, conductor and harpsichord
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
BACH Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068
BACH Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major, BWV 1066
BACH Orchestral Suite No. 2 in b minor, BWV 1067
BACH Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069
Opening the 5 performance season of Johann Sebastian Bach’s 4 Orchestral Suites in the City Recital Hall, Sydney the audience was treated to a great night of music delivered by the combined brilliance of the members of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Artistic Director Paul Dyer has brought together musicians who could ply their trade anywhere in the world. And what a tribute to the old master in this week when we observe the anniversary of Bach’s birth 340 years ago to hear these four masterpieces in one night.
The orchestral suites by Bach offer up wonderful opportunities for individual and ensemble musicianship to come to the fore. The playing of Melissa Farrow as flute soloist in the Orchestral Suite No. 2 in b minor was charm itself, totally elegant and technically dazzling. The music opens with concentrated but understated emotional power and the strings matched Farrow’s intense approach. The famous Badinerie drew sighs from the audience for the recognition factor and Farrow’s superb playing. I could have listened to it all over again.
The Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major brought to the front the oboists Adam Masters and Kailen Cresp. Oh boy I love listening to these guys! I have written about them before and they are clearly a world class pairing and when teamed with the virtuoso bassoonist Sim Walters, magic happens. Sensational in the opening movement they continued to shine every time they played. And a big call out to the second violins and violas for ripping the most tricky internal motor part of the Forlane movement. Excellent stuff!
Trumpets Leanne Sullivan, Richard Fomison and Alexandra Bieri were at their imperial best in the exciting Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, subtle here and then dramatic when required.
Supporting the trumpets Brian Nixon is a marvel. Is there a more perfect timpanist anywhere in the world? I doubt it, as he not only plays the notes given to him by Bach but he also coaxes harmonic colours to add to the bass lines.
The concert opened with the Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major which contains the famous Air which was performed with a no-nonsense and sweet approach and the audience loved it.
A good few movements in the first and third suites were taken at breakneck speeds and it nearly worked thanks to the stunning technique of the first violin section. Shaun Lee-Chen, Matthew Bruce and Matthew Greco stood out all evening for their perfect playing. Indeed, Dyer has put together a string band that responds to all his intentions.
If you have a chance in Sydney or in Melbourne to hear this concert then please do yourself a favour and take that chance with both hands!
The fan-base of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra clearly loves Paul Dyer’s energetic and overly dynamic stage presence. This orchestra is doing great things and with an audience of 1000 people for the first concert, and probably so for each of the five Sydney performances, it shows that baroque music is clearly still a favourite with music-lovers everywhere.
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Violins Shaun Lee-Chen, Matthew Bruce, Matthew Greco, Ella Bennetts, Alison Rayner
Ben Dollman, Rafael Font, Sarah Papadopoulos, Jared Adams, James Armstrong
Violas Monique O’Dea, Marianne Yeomans, John Ma
Cellos Jamie Hey, Anton Baba, Edwina Cordingley
Violone Robert Nairn
Flute Melissa Farrow
Oboes Adam Masters, Noelia Melián, Kailen Cresp
Bassoon Sim Walters
Trumpets Leanne Sullivan, Richard Fomison, Alexandra Bieri
Timpani Brian Nixon
Photo Credit – Keith Saunders
