Canberra celebrates Carnevale

Shell Prom Concert 2012: Carnevale di Canberra, Government House gardens, February 18, 5pm. Gates open 3.45pm. Bookings: Canberra Ticketing, 62752700 or canberraticketing.com.au; CSO 62626772 or cso.org.au

 From simple meals on picnic rugs to tablecloths and champagne, the fare is varied but the excitement is visceral. Children play in the late afternoon sun and couples stroll in the gardens as the musicians begin tuning their instruments. The Canberra Symphony Orchestra's Prom Concert, which takes place in the grounds of Government House each year, is one of the major events on the Canberra arts calendar. And it always has a festive atmosphere.

So it's fitting that the theme for this year's concert on February 18 is Carnevale di Canberra. In collaboration with the Embassy of Italy, the concert will feature music inspired by the ''Carnevale'' tradition and will be conducted by US-born Marc Taddei with guest soloists soprano Eva Kong and tenor Gaetano Bonfante. Formal sponsorship of the event by Shell Australia, a financial supporter of the orchestra for more than 30 years, has allowed a reduction in ticket prices.

The Italian Ambassador to Australia, Gian Ludovico de Martino di Montegiordano, announced this month that after the performance of Verdi's Requiem in 2010 and, last year an Italian-themed concert to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian Unity, the program this year has been chosen specially, in collaboration with the orchestra's artistic director/chief conductor Nicholas Milton and chief executive officer Henry Laska.

Carnevale di Canberra will feature mostly works by Italian composers: Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours, Puccini's Nessun Dorma from Turandot and songs from La Boheme, selections from Rossini's Barber of Seville and The Italian Girl in Algiers, ''Summer'' from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and the Triumphal March from Verdi's Aida. There are also carnival-flavoured selections from other countries: Massenet's Meditation from Thais and Dvorak's Carnival Overture.

''Carnival festivities represent the continuation of an ancient festive tradition,'' de Martino di Montegiordano says. ''They were associated with the cycle of the seasons, marking the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. With the advent of Christianity, these celebrations were moved to the period preceding Lent. Today, the most famous carnival celebrations in Italy include those in Venice, Viareggio, Verona, Ivrea, Putignano, Palazzolo Acreide and Sciacca, attracting many tourists.''

Interestingly, the first Canberra Symphony Orchestra Prom Concert in 1982 was also part of the then Canberra Festival. According to former CSO string player Max Booth, who has written a history of the orchestra Play On (2004), this first concert was to feature guest artists The Daly-Wilson Big Band, the Woden Valley Youth Choir and the Canberra Dance Ensemble. As Booth recalls, ''On the day, we had the morning rehearsal as planned. Then, in the early afternoon, the skies opened and the concert was cancelled.'' As such, he says, the first Prom concert proper took place in 1983 and its audience of 5000 is still one of the largest for the event.

Marc Taddei returns to the podium for Carnevale di Canberra, after a highly successful concert with the orchestra last year. ''Prom concerts are unique in that very serious music can sit cheek-by-jowl with more light-hearted selections,'' he says. ''The pieces are, by their nature, lighter and shorter than in a concert hall. They're very tuneful and quite often ones that audiences know well.

''These types of concerts are also important because with the wealth of digital entertainment now available, they're an opportunity for orchestras to remind audiences that each live performance is unique and can never be duplicated.''

Orchestra concertmaster Barbara Jane Gilby, who will be soloist in ''Summer'' from The Four Seasons, says a program of shorter pieces is also ideal to allow audiences to continue their meals and discuss the music. She says the orchestra members enjoy the more light-hearted atmosphere of the Proms. ''There's hardly any barrier with the audience. Families with young children are often sitting quite close to the stage and it's wonderful to see the uninhibited joy on the children's faces, as they're in tune with the music.''

Nonetheless, playing music outside brings its challenges.

''For this concert, every string instrument will have a small microphone attached to it. And every wind, brass and percussion player will have a microphone right next to them. So the overall effect is not in the orchestra's hands but in the skill of the sound technicians,'' Gilby says.

''Our instruments will always sound at their best inside with the benefit of resonance from hard wooden surfaces. Outside, if the weather is cold then this can make it difficult for musicians to move their fingers quickly. And if it's hot, then string instruments especially don't react well to having direct sun on them.''

All of which explains the location of the orchestra's stage at Government House.

''The tent and stage are positioned in such a way that we're always in the shade. Unfortunately, that can mean that the audience has the setting sun in its eyes.'' Trombonist Michael Bailey and his partner, percussionist Veronica Walshaw, have been members of the orchestra for four years, and get a kick out of the magic of the Proms.

''It's the orchestra's opening concert for the year and starts it off with a bang,'' Bailey says.

''It has such a nice atmosphere,'' Walshaw adds. ''Everyone - on stage and in the audience - seems to be having so much fun.''

Pianist James Rhodes summed it up best when he said that, compared with the elitism of many contemporary classical music performances, the Proms concert genre puts its audience first.

''If you want to clap between movements, then go ahead ... you don't know how to pronounce the name of a composer? Who cares? Whatever your experience, your likes, dislikes, dress sense, background or musical knowledge, you are very welcome.''