WA Symphony Orchestra brings Chamber Series to Government House Ballroom with Sibelius, Mustonen and Schubert

Dramatic intervals in violin and viola triggered pizzicato attack from cello in Sibelius’ G minor String Trio to launch WA Symphony Orchestra’s first Chamber Series program, Radiant, at Government House Ballroom on Sunday. Full-chord harmony flourished and the sequence repeated with Scandi noir undertones, crisp and incisive in each part. Cello waxed lyrical then fell to agile arpeggios, leading an up-tempo dance measure from viola, raising the temperature before returning to the meditative opening mood. A mellow violin line, echoing arpeggios then returning to melody and passed on to cello, broached insistent bowing then drama in stark unison, breaking again to contemplation in a softly harmonious cadence. The trio of Kylie Liang (violin), Daniel Schmitt (viola) and Jeremy Garside (cello) picked their own repertoire, as did two other ensembles drawn from the orchestra, with Mustonen’s Nonet No.2 before the interval and Schubert’s Octet in F to finish. It was a reminder of the small groups WASO musicians recorded and shared during COVID lockdowns, prompted now by the temporary closure of Perth Concert Hall for renovations. Mustonen continued the Finnish theme in tentative tones from violin and viola over harsher timbre in cello and bass as constant mood swings searched every nuance in the ensemble through the Inquieto first movement and Allegro impetuoso second. Violinists Riley Shevington, Liang, Samantha Wickramasinghe and Sunmi Jung, violists Benjamin Caddy and James Munro, cellists Eve Silver and Nick Metcalfe with Giovanni Vinci on bass, met every test, warming to the task in the Adagio third movement. Hints of a pastoral setting emerged in an unsettled breeze and lilting measures across the ensemble over sustaining bass as Silver gently beat time. Lithe embellishments in violins enriched the heady mix of light and shade as a cello-bass drone urged a more fervent mood. Fuller use of the bow lent a choral quality, falling back to the pastoral ambience of the opening to close. Skittish upper strings led out the Vivacissimo finale in a brisk dance, echoed in cello then hurried on by percussive pizzicato in the lower register. The listless quality of the third movement returned, combined with the mood swings of the first two in a bustling soundscape, fiery and feisty to finish. After the interval, Schubert’s gloriously full-toned opening chords, leaning on horn (Francesco Lo Surdo), bassoon (Adam Mikulicz) and clarinet (Som Howie) found depth in bass to match sweet sonority in woodwind for the opening Adagio movement. Tonal and dynamic control by wind players complemented balance across strings as individual melodic lines spilled out of the ensemble then recombined in concerted effects. String players are often immersed in the collective, but here violinists William Huxtable and Akiko Miyazawa, violist Elliot O’Brien, cellist Fotis Skordas and Robin Brawley on bass each shone in turn. Howie and Huxtable led seamlessly into the second movement, sustaining the group through changes in tempo and style, with dynamics particularly well observed amid the delicate acoustics of the Ballroom. The Scherzo third movement opened in mellifluous clarinet over strings as bassoon chimed in to bolster the palette with bass support, reinforced by horn. Huxtable took up the lead over softly soaring horn, resolving again to clarinet over pulsing strings. A vigorous melodic lead lifted the tone in call and response across the ensemble for the Andante fourth movement, lively in rhythm and expression. Energetic arpeggios in cello switched focus to strings while woodwind and horn danced attendance before taking up the theme as a trio, then tutti to close. Strings led out the graceful Menuetto fifth movement, joined by clarinet in a simple harmonic pattern; picking up pace in violin, woodwind then horn before cooling to reflect. A cello lead full of vim and vigour, ornamented by woodwind, hurried along with scurrying violins then slowed for a truly Romantic wallow. Clarinet sparked new energy over tightly sprung accompaniment before calming to close. At the last, second wind carried the ensemble into the Andante molto finale, accelerating with bassoon, then clarinet and horn as the Allegro endgame loomed, flagged by febrile cello then bass. Symphonic in scope, the piece stretched the concept of chamber music to great effect; drawing deft and decisive insights from all artists before dashing away to a rousing conclusion and rapt applause. WASO’s Chamber Series returns to Government House Ballroom on August 3 with Rapture.