A concert not to be missed: A music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
Although there were three omissions from last night’s Emirates Master Series SSO concert, they didn’t detract from an outstanding event.
Alexander Gavrylyuk
The first omission was the dropping of the third movement of Debussy’s Images – probably in the interests of time. The second was leaving out the usual contribution to the 50 Fanfares commission series, which I’ve found immensely enjoyable. It has so far exposed some remarkable Australian composition talent. And the third was the change of piano soloist for the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 from Katia Buniatishvili to Alexander Gavrylyuk.
Katia was with child, whereas Sydney-based Alexander since he settled here with his family, has become easier to call upon when a celebrity pianist is needed. Ukrainian-born, he took Australian citizenship at age 18. Gavrylyuk has scaled the twin ladders of technique and interpretation, which has placed him among the world’s leading classical pianists. His rave reviews bear testament to his position in the sometimes-brutal world of classical piano performance.
Also, in a break with established programming, the concerto was presented as the after-interval concert highlight. Gavrylyuk was faced with playing the most popular concerto ever written. Its popularity is also its Achilles heel because most of the audience know it so well that the soloist can get away with nothing. Moreover, they would be looking for an interpretation that brings freshness to it. So how did Gavrylyuk do?
Like me, you’ll have to wait until you’re over the hump of Metaboles by Henri Dutilleux (1916 – 2013). If you like a listening challenge and you fancy a post-Messiaen style, this was for you. A contemporary French extravaganza, with squeaks, jangling outbursts or grand statements at every turn in a twisty road, it was an acquired taste for the listener whose boat is floated by 20th-century music – although it must be said that there were occasional passages that were quite enchanting. While I expected polite applause from the near-capacity audience, Metaboles achieved enthusiastic, widespread approval.
It was followed by two movements from Debussy’s Images for orchestra. Much of Debussy’s output was for solo instruments, principally piano – which is not surprising, since he was an outstanding concert pianist. But his works for orchestra such as La Mer and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn have also enjoyed sustained popularity.
Images for Orchestra comes in three separate movements – although we only heard the first two: Gigues and Iberia. Iberia is subdivided into three sections of its own each embodying the character of Spain.
The work was premiered in 1912 after Debussy had re-written its original two-piano version for orchestra. Like his countryman, Ravel, Debussy liked a whopper orchestra. Images crowds the stage with two piccolos, two flutes, two oboes, oboe d’amore, cor anglais, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, field drum, tambourine, castanets, two harps, celesta, triangle, xylophone, cymbals, three bells, strings and kitchen sink.
With such a variety of instruments to control it took a conductor of Sir Donald’s capability to not only hold it together but direct the SSO to produce a beautifully balanced performance. Handling multiplicity is one of Sir Donald’s strengths – although I would have liked a little more aggression extracted from the castanets player.
Pyotr Ilyich revised his first piano concerto three times before its final incarnation in 1888 and after plenty of broigus with prominent pianists of the time, many of whom were harshly critical of the score. That didn’t sit well with Pyotr, who was highly strung and pretty touchy. The revisions, therefore, were all his idea and not prompted by his critics. Even today, some pianists prefer to go back to earlier versions where the grand opening chords are played as arpeggios; not my cup of tea.
Alexander Gavrylyuk, aided by the sure-footed conducting of Sir Donald Runnicles, produced a miraculous performance. I was looking forward to something out of the box from Gavrylyuk but his rendition was beyond exceptional, not only for his blistering technique but his phrasing – which bathed this familiar concerto in a new light. I should add that the coordination between piano and orchestra was also exceptional. They played as one, both when going for the big meeting points or the passages of tender romance that are the foundation of the second movement. The audience did something unusual for an SSO concert: rose up for a standing ovation.
I’m running out of superlatives to describe Gavrylyuk’s Tchaikovsky. Suffice to say it was the best rendition I’ve ever heard – live or recorded. There are three more performances to follow and if you can get a seat, you will be richly rewarded.
SSO Sydney Opera House concert 1 November 2023
