FEATURING
Monica Curro – violin
Sarah Curro – violin
PROGRAM
Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043
Wild card mystery guest segment
Mills Concerto for Two Violins
Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op.4
Camerata strikes again, and this time proudly presenting Sisters which features Monica and Sarah Curro! What a night this performance was on the 29th of August, 2019. The night was an unforgettable journey through classic pieces featuring Bach, Mills and Schoenberg. It’s safe to say that each time a Camerata show arrives on stage, it is filled with wonders, intrigue and in the case of Sisters a special surprise for audience members as a cherry on top.
Starting with Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 was a beautiful way to begin the performance and allowed the audience to become familiar with the playing style in Sisters between Monica and Sarah Curro. Organising a theme for the show was a delightful aspect that I enjoyed with this particular performance. It was nice to see two sisters playing violin on stage with each other, and having that exciting, rivalry energy in the air! Another element that was enjoyable was hearing the accompanying Camerata Chamber Orchestra and harpsichord musically compliment the sisters. What is a nice quality to the Bach piece is that it caters to the Curro sisters and their choice of instrumentation. Overall the starting piece produces a luxurious and refined sound that was a delightful experience to listen to.
The delightful and characteristic sounds, as well as the harpsichord in the mix providing a regal energy to the piece, made for an enjoyable starting piece to listen to and, most importantly, watch. The musicians are passionate about what they are playing, and there is never a dull moment. With this string-based orchestra, there is a beautiful range and depth of sound produced from violas to violins to cello and of course, a double bass. There isn’t quite an orchestra like Camerata and I can truly say they have opened my eyes to the beautiful arrangements that exist for string instruments. I have a deeper appreciation for this type of music after watching performances such as these in a live setting.
The Wild Card Mystery Guest Segment took me by surprise, as I’m sure it was intended. I was very impressed by what this part of the show presented. Not only were the Camerata Chamber Orchestra musicians playing as beautifully as ever but this time around they were accompanied by the Australian Voices for an absolutely breathtaking rendition of Agnus Dei (arr. Adagio for Strings). This was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was a magical combination of voices and strings that felt perfectly in sync with one another. This special segment stood out to me and was highly engaging to experience. Agnus Dei provided the audience with a surprising shift in pace and tone and was a captivating segment to witness. I appreciated the fusion of choral and string instrumentation, it was a breathtaking and deeply moving piece.
The third segment of the Sisters performance featured Mills Concerto for Two Violins. Sisters took the stage yet again to continue the show with a subtle, moving and evocative piece. At parts slow and building up pace, it was an entertaining piece of music that was entertaining and had a lot of character. I could describe the flow of music as a person scribbling very quickly on a page in fast expressions. Both violins had frequent and repetitive patterns that displayed the character and tone of the piece. I also enjoyed the variation between the two violins and how they alternated their instrumentation with each other. Sisters Monica and Sarah Curro shared the melodic line and complemented each other at various intervals. They worked well together as a team and the sound produced by every musician on stage was astounding.
The final segment of the evening started with a poem. The poem and piece of the same name Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) illustrates each line of the written text via the instrumentation. This lengthy and intricate piece of music symbolises various themes within the poem. A few of the core themes within the poem consist of love, lust and regret and ultimately tells the story of a woman bearing the child of another man. The music symbolically reflects the regret in the woman’s choices and the pain she must feel in explaining that the child she bears is of another man, a stranger in fact. This is shown through the tension in the notes and chords and the dissonant sounds that occur. There isn’t until a satisfying release of the dissonant tones until the melody is harmonious again and the audience can take a breath.
There is a variation between the dissonant tones of the piece and the more ‘dreamier’ aspects of the composition due to the tone of the poem being set in an evening with two lovers. My interpretation of the piece is that it conveys the mental worry of the woman explaining to her lover the truth behind the baby she is bearing and the eerie notes may reflect her fear in doing so. Whilst this is still a romantic piece, there is still hopeful and freeing sounds that make up the piece. Ultimately Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) comes to rest harmoniously and leaves hope for a happy ending. Don’t miss the next Camera Chamber Orchestra performance to hear your favourite classical pieces, or introduce yourself to new work. Thank you to the Sisters for sharing their talents in a special performance on August 29th, with a receptive and most of all grateful audience.
29th August, 2019
QPAC, Concert Hall
By: Joanna Letic