Review / Innovative approach to Haydn

IN the only four years since its founding, the Australian Haydn Ensemble (AHE) has staked a reputation for innovation in its chosen field of classical period repertoire. And this concert was no exception.

Beginning with the String Quintet (Notturno) in C major MH187 by Michael Haydn, the younger brother of the group’s namesake, Joseph Haydn, the AHE achieved a delightful lightness of touch and fine balance of sound as it romped through the opening Allegro Spiritoso movement.

The second movement, Adagio Cantabile, was less successful, particularly with a very tentative start, introduced as it was by pizzicato on the two violins on the off-beat to the two violas. But the other two movements took us back to the confidence of the first movement and concluded strongly to enthusiastic applause.

Then came an AHE innovation; Beethoven’s 3rd piano concerto. Augmenting the quintet of two violins, two violas and cello were a double bass and a baroque flute (all the instruments were classical period originals). The soloist was Neal Peres Da Costa playing a magnificent replica 1820 Viennese fortepiano.

The innovation lies in the fact that they performed a chamber arrangement of the work. Normally requiring the forces of a full symphony orchestra, the AHE commissioned the arrangement from its own operations assistant, Vi King Lim. It is their goal to complete the full cycle, already having picked up an 1881 arrangement of the first concerto and commissioning an arrangement of the second concerto in 2014. Vi King’s arrangement is on its world premiere tour.

One of the features of the fortepiano I particularly like is its clarity of sound, especially in the faster passages. It requires a very light touch and judicious use of the pedal effects (there were four on this instrument). Overall this was achieved, but at times Da Costa lost clarity and precision with uneven runs, arpeggios and trills. But his attention to expression and phrasing and his subtle interpretations, right down to individual bars and even notes gave his performance a virtuosic edge.

Considering Beethoven’s orchestration for his 3rd piano concerto calls for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani and full symphonic strings, this arrangement for just seven orchestral instruments delivered on all the familiar sounds.

In particular, Melissa Farrow, playing the flute, somehow managed to bring through the vital parts normally heard from all the woodwinds and brass. And, together, the ensemble even managed to cover for the timpani through its textural interpretation.

The final work in the program was another chamber arrangement of a larger work, Mozart’s famous Symphony No 40 in G minor, K550, his second-last. This arrangement was by Italian composer, musician and publisher, Giambattista Cimador

(1761-1805) and completes the AHE’s cycle of Cimador’s chamber arrangements of Mozart’s last three symphonies.

This performance, with the same orchestration (including the fortepiano) as for the Beethoven, was a delight from beginning to end. The group showed a real empathy for all the moods and dynamics of the four-movement work and, once again, all the familiar parts were there, even though Mozart scored the work for a full symphony orchestra.

Indeed, it was interesting to hear all the parts coming through with such clarity on single instruments. Even so, none of the individual parts dominated the overall ensemble sound. Together they produced a remarkable balance and tonal quality. Well done AHE!

It is good that the Australian Haydn Ensemble is setting itself apart by taking such an innovative approach to its programming and performances. It quickly has established a following, and deservedly so.

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