ACO leader Richard Tognetti is off duty for the orchestra's current tour and the guest leader is young Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Finnish music has a special place in this strings-only program: besides Kuusisto, the orchestra has two permanent members and a visiting harmonium player from Finland. Kuusisto's fine arrangement of the String Quartet in D minor by Sibelius brought a new richness to the work.
Also from Finland was Sketches from Folkscenes (world premiere) by Timo Alakotila. It weaves folk music and original material together and uses the harmonium, a key instrument in Finnish fiddle bands whose timbre enhances the open sound of folk string playing. The chunky, pop and jazz-influenced second movement looked a pleasure to play.
In the Bach E major Violin Concerto, Kuusisto took a free, joyous approach to the first movement. A few improvised details in the third added a spontaneous feel.
Bright Shiners by Andrew Ford, a new commission, was an enjoyable piece with vivid textures and effective, flattering string writing. Its duration suited its musical concept perfectly.
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.3 took a fresh, modern approach with a lively bowing style, choppy but never rough. There was an exciting primal energy to the final movement. Rather than the more usual harpsichord continuo, ACO again used the harmonium - a logistical choice perhaps, but it worked. Kuusisto's playing explores many musical styles and his artistic imagination seems boundless. Best of all, hi inspiration spread to the other players and audience alike.
It says excellent things about Tognetti and his intentions for the orchestra that he engages guest leaders of Kuusisto's calibre in his absence.
Anna McAlister, Herald Sun
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I rarely, if ever, have been able to find fault with a performance by the ACO, and Pekka's playing in general was superb. But I did feel he took the Bach E major far too fast. The bright tempo worked with the Brandenburg 3, but I've always felt there are subtle beauties in the melodic line of the E Major which are lost when you go all-out for a galloping virtuoso performance.
For me, the slight tension of the first movement's pattern of repeated notes over a rising scale can even have a hint of wistfulness about it when handled with sensitivity, which does not necessarily mean slow, but not rushed to the point where it sounds like you're going for the world speed record.
The second movement is Bach at his most reflective, while the third movement is pure contrasting joy. These moods do not come across when either movement is rushed.
There seems to be a modern tendency to play Bach at ever-accelerating tempos. While I too enjoy a nice bright tempo where appropriate, I feel that occasionally subtlety is sacrificed for virtuosic effect. As was the case, I think, here.
Other than that, a most enjoyable concert (although one person sitting near me thought the introductory piece by Andrew Ford was the orchestra tuning up!).
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