The Melbourne Festival goes about bringing both visitors and faithfuls a carefully rounded display of everything this fine city has to offer. The program is the unseen dichotomy of the real arts scene on offer in our looney metropolis proving that Melbourne isn’t just for the bespectacled, fixie touting, hipster artisan.
The festival presents as part of a three year series “Hayden for everyone.” It sees an evolution of the classic string quartet with a myriad of composers work performed alongside what will eventually unfold as Hayden’s entire string discography. The Shanghai Quartet provide a stunning and provocative display of one of classical musics most evocative art forms, the string quartet. Comprising of two violins, Weigang Li & Yi-Wen Jiang, Honggang Li on viola and Nicholas Tzavaras on the cello the quartet bring all the intricate subtleties and mysticism of eastern music to the polished western repertoire, championing both classic and premiering modern compositions at the Collins St Baptist church as a part of ‘Sounds of Sunset.’
The group of illicitly talented musicians are famous for their work alongside cello enthusiast Penderecki bringing an eyre of combined wryness and complete earnestness to the sweeping soundscape. (Penderecki’s string pieces sound like they have been ripped straight from a Hitchcock.)
During their performance they also premiere Australian composer Ford’s piece ‘Cradle song’ and play alongside Australian flautist for musical parable, ‘Once upon a time there were two brothers.’ A modern performance piece about a love triangle and a flute with a seemingly clef palette.
The ensemble closes with the perfect display of modern chamber music in what is one of Haydens most reputable pieces ‘Quartet in D major,’ as the sun outside gently falls and the day becomes night. Strolling along the upper end of Collins St as the sun sets upon the unassuming corinthian columns, it is evident just how much diversity Melbourne really has to offer. Even to the seething, wholesome, underbelly of this city.
BY JESSICA LAWSON
