Review: The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra Presents A Playful And Energetic Program With HAYDN, MOZART & FRIENDS.

Wednesday 13th September 7pm, City Recital Hall, Sydney

Artistic Director and Conductor of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra (ABO), Paul Dyer's latest concert HAYDN, MOZART & FRIENDS expresses the liveliness of four animated works. Featuring soloists Australian Jamie Hey on Period Cello and Belgium Bart Aerbeydt on Natural Horn and showcasing the period woodwind component of the ABO, the audience is treated to a sound not often highlighted.

Starting with Christian Cannabich's Sinfonia in E-Flat major, the orchestra captures the range of the three movement work, from bold to delicate, playful to gentle, and crisp to conversational. Without lyrics, the instruments take the place of characters telling a story with animation and restraint. Dyer leads from Fortepiano, his signature enthusiasm ever present in his full body conducting. He clearly inspires this same passion in his orchestra with many of the orchestra having a similar passionate physicality as they convey the meaning of the wordless work. Jamie Hey features in Joseph Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major with a reduced ensemble that also features the horns and woodwinds. Hey skillfully works through the three movements which range from bold, languid, light, fast and frenzied to the audience's delight which encouraged an encore before the first half of the show closed.

The second half of the concert focuses on two works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, featuring woodwinds and natural horns. The Harmoniemusick based on the opera Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail is presented by pairs of Period Oboe, Period Clarinet, Period Bassoon and Period Horn. Whilst the work comprises of 16 movements, Dyer has selected five movements to present in the concert. These works have a wonderfully lyrical, cinematic quality that one can imagine the music forming the soundtrack to an animated comedy in a similar way that Warner Bros cartoons were set to classical works and as with the earlier Sinfonia, the performers tell the wordless story with a fabulous physicality and energy.

Aerbeydt features in the final work, the Concerto No.4 for Horn in E-flat major and Dyer's chat with Aerbeydt prior to the piece helps explain the complexity and the beauty of the natural horn. Unlike contemporary valved horns, the natural horn consists of mouthpiece, length of tubing and bell, relying on the musician's skill at altering tone with their mouth and the placement of their hand within the bell. Aerbeydt explained that the sound is not uniform with each note having a "colour" which helps those less familiar with the instrument to appreciate the unique sound. Aerbeydt demonstrates the incredible control to deliver the animated, festive work that has a intriguing texture due to the "colour" of the notes.

With more animated works that tell stories, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra's HAYDN, MOZART AND FRIENDS is a great introduction to baroque music for newcomers and also a lovely treat for fans of the classic masters. With Dyer's infectious energy spreading to his orchestra, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is always a delight to experience both to listen to and to watch.

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra's HAYDN, MOZART AND FRIENDS

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