Orava marks a ten-year milestone with a stunning, fun performance

Orava Quartet | A Dream within a Dream 

September 20, 2024 Brisbane, QLD

Overlooking the Brisbane river, the State Library of Queensland’s Edge auditorium was the perfect setting for an evening of chamber music on Friday night. Presented as part of Brisbane Festival, Orava Quartet’s A Dream within a Dream concert gave audiences the chance to unwind before the weekend.  

The Orava Quartet were celebrating ten years as Quartet-in-Residence with Camerata, with a program of their favourite works alongside two Queensland premieres. One from Poland, where the quartet’s family heritage lies, and one from Brisbane, by local composer Paul Dean. Paul’s piece was inspired by the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, giving the concert its title. 

Orava opened the concert with a selection of Nordic Folk tunes called Wood Works, arranged by the Danish String Quartet. Starting with a traditional wedding tune on a foggy morning, we then heard a series of lively polkas and jigs evoking village life, parties, sheep and goats, and the woodlands. Finally, the music faded back into the fog.  

Paul Dean then introduced his piece, String Quartet No. 2. Inspired by the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, this piece explored the passing of time, realities, illusions, and dreams. Paul took the familiar form of a string quartet and transported it to a gothic fantasy world. From eerie moments to heart-wrenching beauty, this piece was totally enthralling. 

We then returned to folk music, with the Australian Premiere of Slawomir Czarnecki’s Quartet No 2. This piece captured Orava’s Polish roots, with lush, swelling strings evoking the serene beauty of the Tatra mountains and surrounding landscapes.  

The final piece we heard was a stunning rendition of Debussy’s well-known String Quartet in G Minor. This piece created many different textures, with a sense of motion and activity that would be found in an impressionist painting. Its heroic theme wove in and out, taking the listener on a journey across skies and seas. The final climax ended with a sense of triumph, and the hero returning home. 

In all, a fun performance to mark Orava’s ten-year milestone with Camerata. Here’s to many more!

Photo credit: Alex Jamieson