QSO—FRESH AND FAMILIAR
It is the Valentine’s Day weekend, and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is lighting up the stage with a sparkling program of avant-garde orchestral compositions accompanied by an absolute old-time favourite. Clerici and Schaupp bring Brisbane audiences the newest music from Anahita Abbasi, a magnificent guitar concerto by Gerard Brophy, and Mozart’s timeless 40th symphony, under the baton of Umberto Clerici, the QSO Chief Conductor.
Do you feel uneasy or excited surrounded by trombone players and percussionists? The QSO makes the most of the intimacy of the Conservatorium theatre, by scattering trombone and percussion soloists through the auditorium to immerse the audiences into Abbasi’s why the trees were murmuring. The piece takes us on a journey of a soundscape, beginning with desolation and percussive shrapnel. Is it a forest, a desert, or an abandoned field of destruction? The composition is both a challenge and a treat for the ear. It may not be an easy piece for someone used to classical repertoire, but to an open-minded listener it offers surprises and humour. An introduction by Eliza Scott, a first violin with the QSO, gives a taste for how the piece pushes the comfort zone of the musicians, with asynchronicity and overlapping structures. There is whispering, amazing sounds emerging out of the trombones, and contrasting pairings of pure simplicity and mind-blowing complexity. A single undulating note shared by the oboe and the trumpet is juxtaposed against repeated melodies played in a canon merely a note apart. Cacophony against singularity of sound, this piece feels like a surreal dream where anything can happen. Voices from the subconscious? A fly or two buzzing past? A croaking frog? A mysterious gong? This is fresh and unexpected!
Then comes migrating with swallows, the world premiere of Brophy’s concerto for guitar (played by Karen Schaupp) and orchestra. The beautiful, seamless blend of guitar and the shimmer of an orchestra makes you want to sink deeper into this music. The story of migration is “narrated” by the wind – the ever-present character in this concerto that bears witness to the challenges of the world and to the journey of the sparrow. The voice is always in conversation with the guitar: “cry wind, cry: tell us now what you have heard…”. We follow the beauties and the horrors of the world, seeing them from high above, as a sparrow would. The guitar leads the sparrow through his migration, sometimes giving him a little push up to keep going.
Karin Schaupp, Umberto Clerici, and Gerard Brophy with QSO
To finish off, the QSO brings us the iconic Mozart’s 40th symphony. What listener would not recognize its opening repeated half-tones, even if they are not a music buff? This timeless gem of classical repertoire brings comfort of the familiar to the second half of this adventurous program. I spotted several audience members drumming the rhythm with their fingers. Four movements, four instantly recognisable melodies that carry us away into the magical world of Wolfgang Amadeus.
What a great program to kick off the year and celebrate the lovers’ day! QSO's full program for 2025 can be found here.
