Erik Griswold,
Composer
Tamara Saulwick, Director
Australian Art Orchestra
with Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres
Ainslie Arts Centre
23 August
Reviewed by Len Power
23 August 2017
According to the program notes, ‘Water Pushes Sand’ features
China’s Sichuan music combining rustic country folk music, street songs and ear-splitting
cacophonies of gongs and cymbals. A collaboration
between composer Erik Griswold and musicians and performers from Sichuan and
the Australian Arts Orchestra, with an emphasis on improvisation, it is
certainly different, at times exciting and entertaining but often puzzling as
well.
A well-produced show with good lighting choices, fine video
accompaniment and fascinating singing and dancing by Sheng Li Zheng, there was
much here to enjoy. Of course, it’s
easier for us to relate to the western-style music woven around the more
challenging Sichuan elements but it all comes together in a generally satisfying
and enjoyable way.
I would have enjoyed it even more if the individual musical
items were explained either by the composer, who occasionally commented during
the performance, or in the program. Being
told by the composer, ‘that’s a song about tofu’ didn’t really enlighten me
much. I enjoyed the fine singing of
Sheng Li Zheng but I had no sense of what he was singing about and I wanted to
know more about the background to his spectacular changing faces dance.
 |
| Australian Art Orchestra - Photo by Claude Raschella |
The music was mostly very loud and the amplification of the
music in this reasonably small venue was often at an uncomfortable level. I saw some audience members around me with
hands over their ears. Ninety minutes of
sound at this level was a bit wearing.
Maybe an interval would have helped a bit.
The piano playing by composer, Erik Griswold, was a
highlight of the performance. There was
also fine playing in featured passages by Peter Knight on trumpet, Scott
McConnachie and Tim O’Dwyer on the saxophones, Min Dong, the bamboo flute
player, Mindy Meng Wang on the Guzheng, Sam Pankhurst on Contra Bass and Kai
Zhi Zhong and Vanessa Tomlinson on percussion.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7’s ‘Artcetera’ program (9.00am Saturdays)
and on other selected Artsound programs.
