Conductor Umberto Clerici bowed the knee earlier than trumpeter Jenna Smith in a uncommon salute to a stirring rendition of Mussorgsky’s Photos at an Exhibition with WA Symphony Orchestra and WA Youth Orchestra at Perth Live performance Corridor on Friday.
The WASO appearing principal led out the evergreen favorite, pealing via the Promenade leitmotif in a transparent and cogent tone; first solo, along with her part after which the entire ensemble, as low brass and horns chimed in underneath Clerici’s baton.
For the primary “image”, Gnomus (Gnome), scurrying melodic strains picked up in celesta (Graeme Gilling) triggered extra grandiose horn and low brass, driving to an explosive conclusion.
Reprising the Promenade, David Evans’ horn drew in woodwind, with flautist Andrew Nicholson and his WAYO cohort of Joshua Gabriel McMahon and Barbaby Beahan tirelessly all night time.
Bassoon (Jan Kircher-Lindner) captured the shadows and cobwebs of Il vecchio castello (The Previous Citadel), throwing to finely judged saxophone (Nikki Demandolx) carrying the theme throughout a carpet of murmuring strings; the lead ebbing and flowing via woodwind strains over a tolling bassoon earlier than returning to fade out in saxophone.
Smith once more pealed out the Promenade, punctuated by darkly menacing decrease brass, earlier than one other bounce reduce to the Tuileries, the place flute, oboe (Liz Chee and Aiden Labuschagne) and clarinet (Allan Meyer and Clare Waters) channeled the free abandon of kids quarrelling; the interaction with strings delicately dealt with from the rostrum.
Treacly euphonium (Oliver Stark) over drone-like decrease strings ushered in Bydlo (Oxen) — as sluggish because the Earth is affected person — strirring strings and horns then woodwind; euphonium reclaiming the lead over fixed percussion and fading to shut.
A quick Promenade in woodwind, descending to cello and bass and rising once more triggered frenzied flute and oboe with violin thrives for Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks, pecking their manner via scattered scraps of melody; constructing a loopy accelerando then moreno to complete.
A broad sweep throughout strings for “Samuel” Goldenberg and “Schmuyle” reinjected Smith, this time on piccolo trumpet to channel the dizzy dialogue of Polish Jews, over pressing cello and bass.
Florid flurries of horns introduced the subsequent attraction, Limoges Market, the Massive Information, unleashing a cavalcade of strings and woodwind with extra fireworks from trumpet earlier than a sudden break to stentorian decrease brass and horns in dense harmonies for Catacombae (Catacombs), supplemented by trumpet in a wealthy chorale.
Con mortuis in lingua mortua (With the Useless in a Useless Language) flowed on in contrasting tones of flute and oboe, with minor echoes of the Promenade, ceding to the depths of bassoon and strings then returning to harp highlights (Yi-Yun Loei and William Nichols) with trumpet reinforcement.
The Hut on Hen’s Legs, Baba Yaga introduced offbeat power throughout the stage to set Clerici dancing whereas brass rasped out the theme. Falling again to woodwind, bassoon took up the lead earlier than throwing to tuba (Cameron Brook) in an unlikely however worthy solo.
Huge percussion assault drew in brass and cello-bass earlier than brass and timpani (Alex Timcke) returned to the Promenade, gloriously anthemic, attractive and stately, but fading to clarinet and bassoon; maybe a homage to a different Russian grasp as each part bar the bells pealed out a la 1812.
Bells then joined over tuba and swirling strings in a funeral dirge overlaid with the Promenade; the theme swelling to a climax as The Nice Gate of Kiev as soon as once more stood the check of time.
An enormous hometown cheer greeted Clerici’s tribute to Smith earlier than an avalanche of ovations all spherical.
The night had opened with WASO stalwart Roger Smalley’s Diptych, a tribute to visible artist Brian Blanchflower, in what would have been Smalley’s 80th yr.
Darkish chords and harsh drumbeats summoned depths of expression and dimension with shimmering strings and piercing brass for Sea-Nocturne, stuffed with thriller and drama.
Bass pedal notes, piano and piccolo spoke of countless ocean and wind stirring on an enormous unknown expanse.
Strings made waves whereas timpani and trombones (Joshua Davis, Liam O’Malley, Jeremy Alderson and Elijah Cornish) crammed the troughs with midnight hues. Trumpet punctuated the soundscape, joined by decrease brass, throwing to horns; overlaying tracks in a fancy weave.
Sonorous strings calmed the scene, breaking to pizzicato violins as a distant drum and gong rumbled throughout the water; fading to a ripple.
Piano, harp and woodwind modified the temper for Particle Insanity; timpani and decrease strings flirting with the nocturne timbre, joined by trumpet and trombone as one other complicated weave got here collectively, Clerici’s metronomic beat deftly controlling warp and weft.
Smalley described this finale as a sustained crescendo, and the mixed spell of WAYO and WASO conjured that to the final.
Debussy’s La Mer adopted in softly tolling timpani and strumming of harp to announce barely-there strings with remoted woodwind and trumpet highlights. Timpani gathered tempo as flute and harp led in concerted horns, interspersed with oboe and bassoon.
A wraith-like solo from concertmaster Laurence Jackson summoned heat waves of violins, morphing to stark chords earlier than fading and reviving in decrease strings and horns. Denser harmonies emerged from the rolling soundscape like a heat present lapping the shore for a mild conclusion.
Woodwind and harp opened the second stanza, Jeux de Vagues (Play of Waves), with a glimmer of muted trumpet as violins made a play with the title.
Debussy’s broad cinematic sweep was properly captured in tempo and dynamics; undulating in woodwind and crashing via in brass as strings lend buoyancy to the entire.
Clerici singled out scintillating harp thrives to modulate the combination; rolling gently to the shut.
Lastly, timpani drew drama in decrease strings for Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of Wind and Sea), with menace in horns and woodwind taken up in trumpet, answered by horns and clarinet and softened by syrupy cascades of strings.
Flute and oboe mixed in a dreamy sequence, becalmed amongst strings then echoed in horn to reignite the total ensemble. Trumpet calls quickened the temper and tempo, as teeming shoals of sound gathered then broke in a wall of percussion and full symphonic results.
Ovations for the standard WASO suspects included a shoutout for WAYO cor anglais participant Erynn Bye.
Photos at an Exhibition returns to the Live performance Corridor on Saturday, March 25, at 7.30pm.
WASO’s subsequent date is Mozart’s Nice Mass on April 5, 7.30pm, with St George’s Cathedral Consort and a constellation of stars.
www.waso.com.au.
