Viva Vivaldi, conducting had it all

by Gwen Herat

Last week was one Italian flavour for me, starting the first day desperately making an attempt to 'simplify' Rossini'd score of 'Sabat Mater'.That of course is set for glorious tenor. Picking note by note, assembling to make at least a part-melody at the piano for hours resulted in a disaster. Next day, an Italian funded higher educational project with Bishops (some from Italy) clergy and laity with my wondrous Bishop's address in Italian diction that drove me up the wall because I could not understand a word. Two days later, two papers on the Italian event were followed by Viva Vivaldi the next day, in all his glory and the weekend was wrapped up with family dinner of spagetti and bolonge. Not bad for someone living in an improvised village in the North Western Province which brings me back to Viva Vivaldi, presented by the Chamber Music Society of Colombo at the Lionel Wendt Theatre in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy and the Conservatorio Di Musica Giuseppe Verdi' Di Milano.

Paolo Tagliamento Violin - Solo

Except for all the fuss, naturally, due to a child prodigy playing solo this great Master's Four Seasons (to me, Vivaldi is one boring composer repetitive in his scores) who claims to have written 440 concertos but only one and copied it 399 times according to Stravinsky. It may be unfair to make such a proclamation but due to Vival's prevailing conditions under which he had to exist solely, may be ... just may be he did what Stravinsky said with no malice or jealously.

However, Vivaldi apart from this famous quartet, wrote 344 solo consertos, 46 operas of which only 21 are extant, eighty one concertos for two or more instruments, 61 sinfonias which presently stand at around 700 works. But this Baroque-era composer whose brilliant work was not recognised during his lifetime had to wait for hundreds of years to surface. Only around 50 to 60 years ago, one could hear his works in concert halls and in orchestration and suddenly sprang into life as we witnessed today, spanning across the oceans from Italy to Sri Lanka only to receive with much enthusiasm and expectation.

Complacent

So, as I sit here at the Lionel Wendt Theatre to listen to 'The Four Seasons' I may have heard hundreds of time, I am not complacent as to why it took him such long to spread the wings.

Then, out of the blues came along the Chamber Music Society of Sri Lanka to afford the classical music lovers a dose of Vivaldi and they did it right and at appropriate time when Vivaldi was overlooked by many visiting ensembles. I had never seen such a jam-packed crowd at one show.

Was it Vivaldi or was it the mid-teenager, Paolo Tagliamento. I guess, it is both. The little man lived up to expectation, handling his violin like an experienced player, cool, collected and very much in control of himself. There was no hesitation as he strode on to the stage led by conductor, Leo Phillips who put the youngster at ease. Obviously, Paolo would have played 'The Four Seasons' many a time unaccompanied or softly with another violin-backing, and had no reason to read the score which would have been a hazzle for youngsters in that age group. We are going to hear about him in the near future as he makes his way up and up, as a virtuostic violinist.

Strings

Bassoonist, Gorden Fantini carried the brunt of the program on his shoulder playing solo the first part of the program, Bassoon Concerto in F Minor, Rv 484, in solo bassoon, strings and continuo.

Gordon Fantini Bassoon – Solo

Followed by Bassoon Concerto in G Minor RV 495 and as he faded off solo, I detected or heard shades of symphonic adaption from Winter (Four Seasons)

Paolo Tagliamento playing Concerto No. 1 in E major, Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Concerto No. 3 in F major and Concerto No. 4 in F minor that made up the four seasons or Le Quattro Stagioni as classically known is a prodigy from Conservatory 'G Verdi in Milan, studied under Caterina Carlini and graduated.

He has attended a string of courses in Italy and overseas from Venice, Bologna, Vittorio Veneto, Bolzano and Israel. Winning top prizes both nationally and internationally Paolo won a scholarship admission to the famed Yeuhdi Menuhin School in London. Travelling to many cities around the world, the talented young violinist uses a violin that is over 100 years old and loaned to him by the Foundation Pro Canale, Milan. This is his first visit to Sri Lanka playing for the Chamber Music Society of Colombo with its Artistic Director, Lakshman Joseph De Sarem making every effort to make the evening a success. And it was a great success. Thank you, Lakshman.

Gordon Fantini

This is the first time that I came face to face with a visiting soloist-bassoonist to Sri Lanka. There would have been many in symphony orchestras that treated Sri Lankan music lovers, but I hardly saw one. To be honest, I don't think I saw one or many even with London Philharmonic Orchestra that I make sure to attend whenever I am in London. May be I am vary about the bassoon or least interested but tonight, Fantini stirred my curiosity.

Fantini is a student of Leornado Dosso who graduated from Verdi Milan Conservatory in 2012 along with several concerts in Milan and Trentino and presently in project Cantar Settecento as First Bassoon.

Leo Phillips guest conductor

Way back, a couple of years, he founded the Quintet Respighi Quintet along with several. As he gained experience, he was found in many orchestrations in the major city halls of Italy. This spearheaded to his entry in the academic year with an audition to attend courses at the Excelsior Academy of Pescare with many renowned directors across cities. He kept rising to success after success that led him to perform at the Mozart Bassoon Concerto, K191 in May 2012.

Leo Phillips

This appearance is Fantini's first with the Chamber Music Society of Colombo. He was the one who stole the show right from under Paolo and Fantini with brilliant wielding of the baton. He drove passion not only to the bassoonist and violinist, but to the ensemble of CMSC who responded with equal ardour while my eyes rested on the lead violinist, Lakshman Joseph de Sarem, twice recipient of the Signis International Award for outstanding original score on a documentary. He needs no introduction.

Back to Phillips, who was born in London, studied violin in Europe and the US under specialised instructors and is much sought after conductor and today, he is the guest conductor of the CMSC. With many academic achievements under his belt, he conducts around the world and has appeared with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

Tonight, he was simply marvellous, picking up abruptly each note to lead the CMSC professionally that had the cream of Sri Lanka's instrumentalists joining.

There was fire, passion and intensity in his drive.... robust to the end. He was great, rising to heights, lowering to where it mattered as he swept through the evening. The evening belonged to him.

The Chamber Music Society of Colombo with its Conductor, Lakshman Joseph de Sarem

I wish Phillips had taken over few more of Vivaldi scores such as from Twelve Concerti Op. 3(1711) which is all about Harmonic Imagination. It would have been a good-wrap for the evening.

Chamber Music Society of Colombo

with its cream of country's talent it makes a sumptuous contribution to classics and uphold its dignity to encourage the upcoming youngster towards the tradition of chamber music.

The CMSC that came into being in 2001 had its dream come true with its inaugural concert at Temple Trees in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, calling themselves as the Ensemble of the Chamber Music Society of Colombo under the dedicated Artistic Director, Lakshman Joseph de Sarem, to whom we owe all that is Chamber Music in Sri Lanka without whose visions programms like the one tonight, would not have been possible.