Barefoot Fiddler
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Australian Chamber Orchestra
Llewellyn Hall Saturday, July 27
Patricia Kopatchinskaja swept in to transport the Australian Chamber Orchestra to a completely new dimension. Kopatchinskaja's talent is formidable, her energy boundless, and she infuses the musicians around her with the power of musical possibilities. Like a lithe sapling on stage, she draws musical energy as a tree draws nutrients and translates this deep power through supple movement and expressive bowing into unforgettable shared experiences.
Kopatchinskaja's interpretations are arresting. Mozart's Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K546, was intense; the chosen speed of the Adagio emphasising the sophisticated harmonic progressions and ominous currents within Mozart's exploration. In the final climactic passages of the Fugue, Kopatchinskaja stretched her long legato bows to impossible lengths, harnessing the coiled energy of these runs to fling the final phrase in dramatic conclusion.
Bach's Concerto for Three Violins in D major, BWV 1064, washed through the auditorium in a tide of absolute joy. The allegro sounded a call to life in the harpsichord's opening flourishes and in the ritornello phrase voiced by the exceptionally pure tone of Kopatchinskaja's violin. What a joy to see and hear three such distinctive women soloists articulate the three primary voices for Bach's counterpoint: Kopatchinskaja's elemental power, Helena Rathbone's vital spring, and Rebecca Chan's sweet tone. Sympathetic tension developed between the ensemble and the soloists in the adagio; the ostinato articulated by the ensemble underpinning the intensity of long sustained phrases played by the soloists - a trembling meniscus tension like a raindrop poised to fall. Each soloist unleashed dazzling technical displays in the allegro assai in a glorious finale.
Kopatchinskaja's performance of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in D minor recreated the precocious, cheeky energy of the then-17-year-old composer. This was romanticism in its original form - the transformation of natural energy into dramatic, rich musical texture, free of sentimentality. Her focus in the andante underlined the originality of Mendelssohn's harmonic design.
In Ginastera's Concerto for Strings, Op. 33, Kopatchinskaja appeared to climb into this dark, wild music to guide her cohort through uncharted territory. The physicality of her every gesture permeated her fellow musicians, creating a spectacle and sound-world evocative of strange alleyways and desperate rivalries.
Throughout the performance, Kopatchinskaja engaged with the principal players to showcase their talents and light up the ensemble with her sense of humour. How fortunate to hear this high priestess of the fiddle.