Maruki Community
Orchestra
Conducted by John
Gould
Albert Hall, 26 May 2019
Reviewed by Len Power
‘Double Bill +’ was an ambitious program for any orchestra,
but the local Maruki Community Orchestra showed that they relished a challenge
and produced a creditable afternoon of fine music.
This is a community symphony orchestra devoted to all
musicians in the Canberra region, regardless of age, experience and skill
level, who have strong interests in playing classical musical instruments in an
orchestra environment and who wish to develop their skills and express their
musicality.
 |
| Left to Right: Melvyn Cann, concertmaster, Peter Ellis, soloist, and John Gould, conductor |
Conductor and musical director, John Gould, who began his
career with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1958, led the orchestra through
two symphonies by Beethoven and Dvořák, a prelude by Wagner and Saint-Saëns’
‘Danse Macabre’.
The concert commenced with the Prelude to Act 1 of Richard
Wagner’s opera, ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’. Some instruments were not tuned as precisely
as they should have been and the playing was a bit wobbly at the start, but
once they had warmed up, the orchestra gave a good account of this rousing
work.
Next, the orchestra performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in
B flat major. They played the first and
fourth movements especially well.
Saint-Saëns’ ‘Danse Macabre’ was the third item on the
program. Peter Ellis played the solo
violin for this popular, atmospheric work.
In keeping with the mood of the piece, he had skeleton transfers
attached to his violin, a supermarket cheapie. Used just for this item, he explained to the
audience that this violin had, surprisingly, just the right tone for the solo
part of this particular work. He also
looked suitably devilish by sporting a skeleton-patterned head scarf. Both he and the orchestra gave an
appropriately edgy and pleasing performance of this item.
After interval, the orchestra played the Symphony No. 8 in G
major by Antonín Dvořák. This work, full
of beautiful Bohemian melodies, is always a delight to hear and the orchestra
produced a fine sound overall. The
colourful third movement was especially well-played.
Observing this orchestra playing as well as they did for the
sheer joy of it, resulted in a memorable and entertaining concert.
Photo by Len Power
This review was first
published in the Canberra City News digital edition of 27 May 2019.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays
and Wednesdays at 3.30pm.