Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra | Tempestuous Skies
August 24. 2022, City Recital Hall
We were pleased that the skies were NOT tempestuous when we made our way to the City Recital Hall to experience Tempestuous Skies with the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra. This all-Mozart program was superbly played mainly on 19th century instruments or copies thereof in the style of Mozart’s time.
We were instantly transported into an open air party atmosphere with the Serenata notturna (Serenade No.6 for Orchestra in D major K239). Written for a small ensemble of soloists, (two violins, viola, bass and timpani), we could see the musicians’ delight in teasing one another in this elegant and energetic piece. Their playful rapport came to the fore in the Rondo, where the musicians played amusing solos including a hint of ‘jaws’ on the bass. Rachael Beesley even did a small dance and we were treated to a “drum solo” on the timpani.
The ensemble increased to a fuller orchestra and the pride and joy of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music was put into action – this was “a newly built Viennese-action fortepiano with sustaining moderator (knee levers), leather-covered hammers, and a 5 1/2-octave range, after Anton Walter & Sohn (ca.1805), made by Paul McNulty, Divisov, Czech Republic”. This would have been the type of new high-tech, more robust type of instrument Mozart was considering, when he wrote his Piano Concerto No.23, K488. The sound of such a fortepiano was strong enough not to be drowned out by the orchestra, which he had also adapted to give a mellower sound (he removed the timpani and trumpets). Neal Peres Da Costa played this new fortepiano lovingly and sensitively, complementing the orchestra’s rich, mellow sound like Viennese chocolate. The second movement was particularly sweet. 
After the interval, the fortepiano was sitting amongst a fuller orchestra, which included three Young Mannheim Symphonists (students intensively trained in informed performance on period instruments). The “tempestuous” in this concert’s title was truly fulfilled in this performance of the overture to Don Giovani . The whole orchestra played with the bravado of the Don and portrayed the gamut of emotions relayed in this masterful overture. It is hard to believe that Mozart wrote this on the night before the premiere!
The rich, mellow sound of this historically informed orchestra continued with Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C major, K.551, aptly nicknamed the Jupiter. With plenty of tempestuous gusto coming from the stage, they clearly enjoyed the lively pace of this masterful symphony. The special rapport between players was evident and would be a prerequisite for performing without a separate conductor.
The tempestuous applause at the end was a sign of the audience’s keen appreciation. We walked out into the calm, clear night.
Sketches: Heidi Hereth
