Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 2012 Season - Music of Maurice Ravel

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 2012 Season

Saturday 21 July 2012 at 8pm
Melbourne Town Hall
(Approximately 2 hours)

Tadaaki Otaka, conductor
Katarina Karneus, mezzo-soprano
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano

Program of music by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Daphnis and Chloe: Suite No.2
Ravel: Sheherazade
Interval
Piano Concerto in G
Bolero

This was a rare opportunity to hear four of Ravel's works on the same program, occasioned by the MSO's special offer (advertised in "The Age" newspaper) of "Three Concerts for A$99, an offer too good to pass up.

Our seats were in the second-back row of the balcony, which had a clear view of the stage. It appeared that the concert was all but sold-out, as there was only a handful of vacant seats. Free programs were once again available.

The first piece, Daphnis and Chloe: Suite No.2 had an unmistakeable French impressionist feel about it. Not having read the program at this point, the opening section reminded me a lot of gently lapping waves and Debussy's La Mer. It continued on in a similar vein for a while, at times sounding more pastoral or alternately very much like a broad sweeping film score in the Casablanca genre - you could almost see a touching scene between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman! Towards the end of the piece the music became much more agitated, sounding like a storm that had blown in, and finished in this mode. Otaka is a very elegant conductor to watch, and he managed to bring out the best in terms of the well-crafted musicianship of the orchestra.

Swedish mezzo-soprano Katarina Karneus acquitted herself well with the three songs of Sheherazade. She was a resplendent figure in stage in a cardinal red gown, but perhaps the choice of a halter-neck and a clinched waist with jewelled buckle was not the most suitable for her body-type. For most of the performance the orchestra provided an appropriate level of accompaniment but at times she was a little "drowned out". This was a charming and pleasant piece which well showcases the skills of the soloist.

The highlight of the program was probably the Piano Concerto in G, with soloist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, who played with extraordinary energy and panache. There are obvious jazz and blues elements included in the score, including the influence of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. This is an exciting piece which was executed well by both orchestra and soloist, and was very enthusiastically applauded by the audience. As an interesting aside, Bavouzet also has a Scandinavian link - he is the Artistic Director of the Lofoten Piano Festival in Norway. This simply fabulous group of islands is well worth a visit!

During the break between the two final pieces I ran foul of an usher whilst attempting to take one final non-flash photograph for this blog posting. I was told that there was no photography allowed during the performance, and when I countered that I was not taking photos during the performance, I was told that the break was also part of the performance! There is no signage in the Town Hall pointing this out to patrons nor any mention of it in the program or on the web site. I was upset by this, as I only wanted the photo to help promote the orchestra, and there is no way that a non-flash photo in the second-back row of the auditorium respectfully taken during the break would have been capable of distracting anyone. So, I put my camera away 'sans photo' but to make matters worse the usher sat right behind me breathing down my neck for the Bolero to make sure that I did not transgress. As a result, I was the one who was distracted and was no longer "in the zone" and able to enjoy the music to the same extent. It is one of those curiously unsettling human 'sixth senses' when you know someone is staring at you from behind. As a result, I dared not move a muscle lest it was misconstrued as a movement towards my bag and the offending camera.

The audience loved the performance, and Robert Clarke on the snare drum, appropriately placed centre stage, capably and consistently provided the rhythmic drive for the piece. I don't think that I ever saw the movie "10" with Bo Derek that made the Bolero somewhat infamous, and it is probably a good thing that it is now so long ago that many people would not be aware of this association. It was good to see the piece played as it was intended by a high-calibre ensemble, and to to hear the way that the theme colourfully swirls around the orchestra, all the time grounded by the incessant beat of the drum. It is a very clever piece whilst being quite primal at the same time, and it is not hard to understand its popularity.