Melbourne Reviews

Clearly music is a whole body experience for violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja. An accomplished and award-winning musician, Moldovan born Kopatchinskaja is back touring the country this month as guest director and soloist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Her 2007 tour with ACO was voted best chamber music production of the year by Australian Limelight magazine and, if Sunday’s performance is anything to go by, history is about to repeat itself.

The program, developed by Kopatchinskaja, is an eclectic repertoire of contrast and beauty, spanning more than four centuries: from the little known Four Translyvanian Dances composed by Veress to the virtuosic Vivaldi. And could there be a better ensemble than the ACO to complement Kopatchinskaja’s own unique and intensely physical style? Renowned as the only orchestra that performs standing up, and widely known for their adventurous and invigorating performances and recordings, they’re the perfect partner for the barefooted Kopatchinskaja who dances and sings to the music, whether she’s playing or not. Kopatchinskaja, who has played with orchestras all over the world, including the Vienna Philharmonic, has quite the love affair with the ACO, calling them the best in the world.

Included in the program is ‘Four Serious Songs’, a violin concerto by Mansurian, composed in 2006 and presented for the first time in Australia. The concerto, an animated and moving piece, had the capacity crowd holding its breath at the Melbourne Town Hall on Sunday through lamenting glissandos and moments of sheer, quiet beauty.

The musicians were clearly in their element performing the Four Translyvanian Dances, particularly the final piece, Dobbantos, which included some fervent feet stamping and lively interaction between the performers.

Crowd favourites were Hayden’s little known G major concerto, and Vivaldi’s dramatic “Storm at Sea” (Concerto in E flat major for violin), from the same program as the Four Seasons; both perfect vehicles for showcasing the immense talent and passion of Kopatchinskaja and the ACO musicians. It was during the Hayden concerto that this passion, and the way in which Kopatchinskaja experiences and executes the music through her entire being, was most evident. She makes those of us who will never pick up an instrument and make it sing understand the joy of what it must be like to do so, and how the magic of music can take us both out of and into ourselves like nothing else on earth.


Australian Chamber Orchestra presents
Barefoot Fiddler

Director Patricia Kopatchinskaja

KATS-CHERNIN Zoom and Zip
SCHUTZ German Magnificat
MANSURIAN Violin Concerto Four Serious Songs (Australian Premiere)
VIVALDI Violin Concerto The Storm at Sea
HAYDYN Violin Concerto in G
VERESS Four Transylvanian Dances

8 - 22 July, 2010
www.aco.com.au

Newcastle City Hall Thursday 8 July, 7.30pm | Bookings 02 4929 1977
Llewellyn Hall, Canberra Saturday 10 July, 8pm | Bookings 1800 444 444
Melbourne Town Hall Sunday 11 July, 2.30pm | Bookings 1300 182 183
Melbourne Town Hall Monday 12 July, 8pm | Bookings 1300 182 183
Adelaide Town Hall Tuesday 13 July, 8pm | Bookings 131 246
Perth Concert Hall Wednesday 14 July, 8pm | Bookings 08 9484 1133
City Recital Hall, Sydney Saturday 17 July, 8pm | Bookings 02 8256 2222
Concert Hall Sydney, Opera House Sunday 18 July, 2.30pm | Bookings 02 9570 7777
QPAC, Brisbane Monday 19 July, 8pm | Bookings 136 246
City Recital Hall, Sydney Tuesday 20 July, 8pm | Bookings 02 8256 2222
City Recital Hall, Sydney Wednesday 21 July, 7pm | Bookings 02 8256 2222
Illawarra Performing Arts Centre Thursday 22 July, 7.30pm | Bookings 1800 444 444