MUSICA SURFICA REVIEW

Phoresia.org, a 'resource about environmentally and socially responsible surf related products and lifestyle choices' has a review of Musica Surfica, featuring our own RT:

"Written and directed by Mick Sowry, Musica Surfica is unlike any surf film you’ve ever seen before. The concept is the marriage of classical music and finless surfing into a new manifestation of art with roots as far back as anyone can trace. The film combines elements of ancient surfing and modern surfboard designs with ancient instruments and new approaches to playing classical music. Sounds strange? Perhaps, but the results are inspirational and certainly at the height of the art of surfing."

Read more here.

ON TOUR: LUXEMBOURG

27 April: The orchestra has just completed its last concert for the tour at the Philharmonie in Luxembourg. The Philharmonie is quite a modern but beautifully designed building positioned in amongst numerous EU Government buildings in Luxembourg. The hall itself is also finished in a modern but stylistically striking way, providing acoustics of great clarity for the musicians to play in and no doubt for the audience to listen. Little wonder that this venue hosts the crème de la crème of orchestras from Europe and the US as well as seasoned concert soloists on a frequent basis- obviously no shortage of money here.

As I write this final entry the orchestra is enjoying its end of tour dinner in the nearby Sofitel restaurant ‘Oro e Argento.’ No doubt the sumptuous buffet the restaurant has provided to the orchestra tonight with keep them there for many more hours to come.

Damien Low, Orchestra Manager

ON TOUR: PARIS

26 April: Last night the orchestra performed with Ivry Gitlis in the recital theatre of the Musée d’Orsay.

The Musée d’Orsay, once a train station but reopened in 1986 by Francois Mitterand as a museum which now houses one of the finest collections of French Impressionist art in the world, was a great venue for the orchestra’s one off appearance in Paris on this tour.

Today the orchestra had the luxury of enjoying a free day in Paris although quite a large number of musicians elected to go on a tour of the Ruinart Estate in the Champagne region. No matter what people decided to do on their free day here, I am sure their days will end in the same way – dinner in a Parisian restaurant (three courses of course as one cannot turn down dessert here) and accompanied by local French wines.

Damien Low, Orchestra Manager

ON TOUR: PARIS

25 April: Yesterday the orchestra made its way (in some cases more directly) from Glasgow to Paris. For those who braved Easyjet, they were rewarded with an extra six hours here. For the rest of us who stayed on the group flight through Amsterdam, we arrived much later in the day, but still with enough time to experience as much of a Parisian evening as we could before we passed out from exhaustion.

Today the orchestra is no doubt devouring as much French culture, and of course, as much French food as they can before we travel onto the Musée d’Orsay later this evening for a one off concert with legendary violinist Ivry Gitlis. It will no doubt be a special evening, particularly for Ivry’s number one fan – Richard Tognetti.

Damien Low, Orchestra Manager

ON TOUR: LONDON REVIEW 2

The Times, 24/04/08:

Geoff Brown

Listening to the Australian Chamber Orchestra is like taking a swig of a vitamin drink. Suddenly: pow! The music certainly feels stronger, muscled, hot from the gym. Handel’s rippling biceps were amazing in the tenth of his Op 6 concerti grossi, this motley concert’s opening shot. Gone were the springing mannerisms of period instrument groups. This was a different sound entirely: robust, contemporary, skipping rhythms, adrenalin rushing along with the notes. And players enough to tumble off the stage.

But were Richard Tognetti’s superb musicians administering an overdose? It felt a little that way during Bach’s A minor Violin Concerto, BWV 1041. Tognetti’s lead violin surged ever onwards, as bright and winding as the Yellow Brick Road. Yet I missed individual inflections. Bach doesn’t need only forward drive; he needs delicacy too. This was Bach speeding on the super highway, gorgeous scenery passing by in a blur.

The ACO’s revenge was one of Bach’s more lingering sacred cantatas, Ich habe genug. No speeding possible here. No falling asleep either, with the tenor Mark Padmore feelingly micro-managing each syllable, and Katy Bircher’s limpid solo flute. Yet fidgets were possible during the circling repeats of the central aria Schlummert ein: perhaps the price paid for those first testosterone fireworks. I felt fired up, but with nowhere to go, except the foyer.

And then Roger Smalley – once a key player in British new music, who dropped off our radar in the 1970s after emigrating to Australia. Strung Out, for 13 solo strings, found the ACO alternately contemplating and jiggling material not of enormous interest.

Haydn brought back the glow. With his quirks and verve he’s the perfect classical composer for these players, and they gave the oddities of Symphony No 64 a lithe beauty and a dry wit well worth Papa’s approval.

But what would be the response of the fastidious Ravel to his String Quartet finale, souped up for massed strings? No matter. We loved it: this was the perfect encore for a wayward concert from a group that seems forever vital and young. If that’s what Australia does for you, I’m also emigrating.

ON TOUR: FIVE-STAR LONDON REVIEW

The Guardian, 23/04/08:

"A visit from the Australian Chamber Orchestra always raises questions. Does violinist Richard Tognetti, its leader for 19 years, have a slowly mouldering portrait in the attic? Can ugly players even audition? More pertinently, let's ask about what we settle for from music-making in the UK - why do so few of our ensembles present their music with this kind of ear-grabbing vigour? The ACO's formula is not unique, and Pekka Kuusisto achieves something similar with the London Chamber Orchestra or Britten Sinfonia; but still, that is an exception. For the ACO, it is the rule."

Read the full review

ON TOUR: GLASGOW

23 April: After a long and tiring train journey from London to Glasgow this morning the orchestra performed in the recently restored Glasgow City Hall. The journey was tiring in the sense that the incessant radio announcements on the train made it virtually impossible to get any rest during the five hour journey. The British really do need to have a lesson on long distance train travel from the Germans.

Compared to Edinburgh, Glasgow is more of a small town although with two of the most successful Scottish football teams here (Celtic and Glasgow Rangers) there is no shortage of passion or pride in its people.

Although the audience was a wee bit smaller in numbers by comparison to other performances we have done whilst in Europe, their reduced numbers were not evident during the final applause of the night. It must be all that practice the locals have from cheering on their team during local football derbies, or better still when the English visit.

Read the Glasgow concert review here.

Damien Low, Orchestra Manager