Haydn’s Sunrise
The Australian Haydn Ensemble
Wesley Uniting Church March 13
Reviewed by Len Power
With the Australian Haydn Ensemble performing three linked works of Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Fanny Mendelssohn (Hensel), the result was a concert of musical brilliance and some revelation.
Founded in 2012, the Australian Haydn Ensemble quickly established itself as one of Australia’s leading period-instrument groups, specialising in the repertoire of the late Baroque and early Classical eras. The performers – Skye McIntosh, artistic director and violin, Matthew Greco, violin, Karina Schmitz, viola, and Daniel Yeadon, cello – all have a formidable list of academic and performance credits here and internationally.
The concert commenced with Haydn’s String Quartet Op.76 No. 4 in B Flat major, Sunrise. Its radiant opening, like dawn breaking over the horizon, drew us immediately into a serene musical world. Through the poignant Adagio and an appealing Menuet, the work hurried on to a bright, robust finale, full of inventiveness. The ensemble’s sensitive playing of this work brought out all the colour and cleverness in Haydn’s music.
Beethoven was Haydn’s student in Vienna from 1792. His String Quartet in F major Op. 18 No. 1 from 1800 has an intensity of feeling that gives the work an emotional edge. Taking the tomb scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as his inspiration, the Adagio, particularly, throbs with tragedy and turbulent emotion. This emotion was evident in the ensemble’s fine playing of the work.
The final work presented was Fanny Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in E Flat major. Mendelssohn was the brother of composer, Felix Mendelssohn. She composed a large amount of music but not all of it was published before her early death in 1847.
In 1834, she had been immersed in Beethoven’s work at the time she composed her string quartet and her brother’s work was probably also an influence. However, her approach in her string quartet was entirely unique. From the lyrical first movement, through the emotional harmonies of the Romanze and the bustling finale, the work was a revelation with its unexpected individuality. The ensemble gave it an excellent performance, making it the unexpected highlight of this highly entertaining concert.
Photo by Peter Hislop
This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 14 March 2025.
Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.
