The opening weekend of the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival has witnessed the performance of outstanding music. With some emphasis on improvisation and spontaneity a fresh approach was achieved with the more familiar music while the unfamiliar was a joyous discovery. Friday night’s concert “Homage to Rameau”, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, brought together some of the finest early music specialists from Melbourne, excellent vocal soloists and the Newman College Choir, directed by Garry Ekkel. The instrumentalists delivered Rameau’s colourful orchestration and rhythmic variety with a natural ease while the singers clearly understood the dramatic narrative of the excerpts from his opera “Hippolyte et Aricie”.
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At St. John’s Anglican Church in Creswick, Giampaolo Di Rosa gave a masterly display at the historic organ. With a strong and fluent technique the Bach prelude, duets and fugue were shaped purposefully. The colour and depth of Cesar Franck’s “Priere” Op.20 was executed brilliantly and Di Rosa’s improvisation on a hymn tune, presented to him just before the concert, demonstrated his command of what is the traditional skill of a great organist.
Guitarists Slava and Leonard Grigorian need little introduction anywhere. The concert at the Neil St. Uniting Church was outstanding on every level, with the spectacular musicianship and virtuoso technique matched by the performers enthusiasm and telepathic understanding of each other. The variety and complexity of the program, ranging from a simple drone accompaniment in “This Time” to an effective arrangement of a Handel organ concerto, delivered a memorable concert. Radames Gnattali’s “Chiquinha Gonzaga” stood out as a brilliant piece of writing delivered with the highest skill.
At the Mary’s Mount Centre Genevieve Lacey (recorders), Jane Gower(Baroque bassoon) and Lars Ulrik Mortensen(harpsichord) showed why they are considered some of the best musicians in the world on their respective instruments. Bach, Telemann and Handel made up a program which was exceptionally well thought out and thoroughly entertaining. The balance of parts, ensemble work and musicianship were excellent while the personality of each performer shone through. The explanations of Baroque performance and interpretation were highly informative, adding to the overall enjoyment of this superb performance.
Bronislaw Sozanski