Don Quixote, A Musical Quest

Portentously engraved on QSO Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici’s baton is a quote from the great Spanish saga Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. And the Maestro’s baton worked its magic in this ‘musical quest’ program, leading the audience on a joyous journey through creative highlights spanning the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, thanks to the works of Mozart and Strauss, with a little inspiration from Don Quixote, himself. But before we meet that famous jouster of windmills, there was a musical treat courtesy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His ‘Concerto No. 24 in C minor for Piano and Orchestra, K.491’ was a delightful entrée in three distinct parts. The key of C minor is somewhat satisfying in its ability to be melancholic but also upbeat, and so this piece works its way through Danny Elfman-esque film noir before relaxing into a melodic pattern that echoes today’s looping techniques before working its way to a final signature Mozart flourish. This provides a showcase for the superb talents of pianist Piers Lane, the London-based virtuoso who trained in Brisbane. Also 2023 Jury Chair and long-term Artistic Director of the Sydney International Piano Competition, Piers knows how to play, but also how to entertain. After a rousing reaction from the crowd, he treated us to an added-extra performance of a piece by Australian composer, Robert Constable. Umberto Clerici leads his musicians with a effervescent enthusiasm and this was matched by Piers’s faultless performance. Bravo!

It was then time for Miguel de Cervantes’ hero to take to the stage. Strauss’s 45-minute musical encapsulation of the Don Quixote saga is pure genius, foreshadowing the musical version, Man of La Mancha, that was to follow nearly 70 years later. The score gives voice to many instruments in the orchestra, chief of course being the cello (Hyung Suk Bae as the Don himself), and the viola (Imants Larsens as the ever-faithful sidekick, Sancho Panza). It was thrilling to see these two soloists centre stage in an energetic performance piece that challenges while highlighting their abilities.

The scene was set in a special introduction, written (I presume) and performed by Eugene Gilfedder as the author Miguel de Cervantes, a ghost of literary history past, imagining to himself how his fable would be envisioned in the future. This was a wonderful way to introduce the delusional knight and his story, cautioning us to be alert to the windmills, the tempests (beautiful work by the percussion and woodwind sections), the sheep (fabulous brass!) and the vast dreams (strings with harp of course) that we would soon encounter along the way. Eugene’s introduction was so evocative it almost rendered the background history-book slides as unnecessary, but this, too, was a nice idea to keep us on track in this whirlwind take on the epic tale. I loved how Strauss matched the ambitions of his eponymous hero, and in turn this made every musician on the stage their very own version of an industrious Don Quixote. This program was a real tribute to the passion of artistic endeavours, presented by a consummate team of musical professionals who also know how to entertain.

Beth Keehn

Images: from top, Eugene Gilfedder, Hyung Suk Bae and Piers-Lane. Photographer: Sam Muller.

Find out what’s next for QSO: qso.com.au