Warwick lights a Spanish Fire in Geelong
via Entertainment Geelong, by Colin Mockett
It’s our orchestra’s policy, and its practice, to present challenging as well as popular works, whilst opening its players to the experience of guest conductors. All three of these occurred with this event, and the outcome was an outstanding concert of pride and rare beauty. The pride was in the quality of Geelong’s still-fledgling symphony orchestra. It’s sometimes difficult to comprehend that this is only the GSO’s third year, for it now plays with the confidence and maturity of an established musical institution. As for the beauty, that came from the choice of programme, which was Spanish themed.
This Spanish Fire began with the smouldering passion of Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga’s Symphony in D Major, which is a difficult, challenging piece of rich, complex musical patterns and textures amid smooth calming passages that was presented by our orchestra with accomplished ease. Then followed the jaunty flickering of Manuel de Falla's equally testing Suite from the Three Cornered Hat, also completed with verve.
Following an interval, the flames intensified when solo guitarist Matt Withers joined in. Matt and the orchestra presented the Basque composer Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with its well-known second Adagio and equally popular third movement Allegro Gentille. For this reviewer those pieces evoked images not of Spanish plains but of American films, because snippets have been used so many times by Hollywood to evoke the barren western desert atmosphere. So the opportunity to hear the pieces in their full splendour and correct concepts was appreciated.
The long, loud applause drew what was officially an encore piece - though it was listed in the programme, and its composer was in the audience - of James Mountain’s Spanish Romance for Guitar and Orchestra, a lush and sumptuous work of musical romance that was equally well received - before Matt left and the Orchestra took on another popular piece in Enrique Granados’ Intermezzo from Goyescas.
And finally, stoked and enhanced by the addition of extra brass and percussion players, the orchestra finished the evening with a blazing rendition of Emmanuel Chabrier’s best-known work, the catchy and popular España. That was the structure of the evening.
But what made this concert exceptional was not only the high quality of all round performance, but the input of guest conductor Warwick Stendgårds. He’s a slim, middle-aged neatly turned out man who appeared to have energy and vitality to spare. He looked a little like former premier John Brumby - but this was a John Brumby primed on red cordial. Because Warwick Stendgårds conducts with a sort of all-encompassing ‘restrained spectacular’ style, his body swaying with the musical rhythms, his left hand flourishing wide circles while the right wields his baton like a sabre, sometimes stabbing the air, sometimes broadly sweeping but always demanding attention. All this was augmented with little nods, smiles and gestures toward his orchestra - and sometimes, to the audience, too. I’m quite sure that this was a warm learning experience for our orchestra’s younger players, for they responded, literally with gusto.
And for the audience, this night of Spanish Fire made for a blazing success on a cold Geelong night.
More, please.
