From clever to profound: orchestra follows Beethoven's evolution
CLASSICAL MUSIC
BEETHOVEN 1, 2, 3 ★★★★
Australian Chamber Orchestra, Hamer Hall, Feb 9,10
With Beethoven, nothing is as simple as one, two, three.
As this enthusiastic traversal of his first three symphonies made clear, the journey from one to three is eventful; a journey from cleverness to profundity.
In an admirable collaboration, ACO regulars were joined by students from the Australian National Academy of Music. Urged on by Richard Tognetti (celebrating 30 years as ACO’s artistic director), they began by giving a mercurial account of Symphony No. 1, particularly revelling in the musical quicksilver of its outer movements. Tognetti's spinning of long lines and the band's strong rhythmic propulsion were admirable hallmarks of the entire concert.
The Australian Chamber Orchestra performs Beethoven's early symphonies in MelbourneCredit:Julian Kingma / ACO
Symphony No. 2, with its homage both to Haydn's sense of humour and his Sturm und Drang style, enjoyed a sharply characterised reading which, like the rest of the program, benefited from period placement of violins (first and seconds facing each other) and the generous provision of lower strings, including three double basses.
Trenchant string tone and the burnished sounds of period wind and brass underlined the heroic nature of Symphony No. 3. Tognetti's disciplined approach was particularly effective when applied to very soft playing and crescendos. The celebrated funeral march was solemn but not overwrought, contrasting tellingly with the other movements; the whole symphony culminating in an emphatic affirmation of the human spirit.
In one of the first substantial offerings in this Beethoven anniversary year, there was no mistaking the ardour of the players throughout this substantial program. No “painting by numbers” here.