Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | Jaime conducts Enigma Variations
3 May, 2024, Melbourne Town Hall, Vic
In Victorian times the Melbourne Town Hall must have buzzed as the centre of social and musical society, although it wasn’t until 1929 that the Grand Organ was installed. It’s always a thrill to see the many pipes, so much promised sound, in rank after rank, towering behind the orchestra.
So I was especially keen to get to the pre-concert concert by Calvin Bowman. Calvin has been doing these pre-concert concerts for the MSO performances at the Melbourne Town Hall for 25 years and there was a small but dedicated crowd inside the hall when the doors closed at 6:30pm.
The two pieces Calvin played were arrangements of orchestral works by Elgar. The Dream of Gerontius: Prelude and Angel’s Farewell arranged by A. Herbert-Brewer, followed by the Imperial March Op. 32 arranged by George C. Martin. Both are perfect pieces of the period and you could clearly hear the uniquely British harmonic language in Bowman’s interpretation.
The long sequences, out of which the theme of Gerontius continuously emerges, was dreamy, soft and muted, which was nicely contrasted in the strict tempo and the power bang of trumpets, reeds and other stops used for the Imperial March.
There were plenty of hints at the sheer depth of volume and power of the Grand Organ in the performance, but the organist showed great restraint to not overwhelm the audience and took us along for the ride.
The programming throughout the entire evening was equally charming. Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra transports you to your first childhood introduction to the symphony orchestra, all wide-eyed and full of wonderment. Players did a great job with all the characteristics and exaggerations which are integral to the piece.
The Lark Ascending needs no introduction and seems to be on regular repeat on classic music radio stations around the world. Vaughan Williams strikes that delicate balance between atmosphere and melody. Solo violinist Tair Khisambeev played blissfully, especially in the high register where the sound floated as if on air.
While Elgar’s Enigma Variations are a series of musical portraits based on friends of Elgar and his wife, Alice, there is a dog called Dan somewhere in there (perhaps the concert title could have been Mad Dogs and Englishmen?). What could have started out as an in-joke between friends turned out to be one of Elgar’s most successful works. The composition unravels in glorious as you hear each variation come to life.
Of course the showstopper movement is number IX Nimrod and it never fails, leaving me (and I suspect others) in an emotional mess in its aftermath. Conductor Jaime Martin held us and all the players all in those moments, showing great stamina as well as skill.
It was doubly emotional as the performance was dedicated to the memory of the late, great Sir Andrew Davis who was both Chief Conductor and Conductor Laureate of the MSO.