The stunning opening of Debussy’s ‘Prélude à L’après midi d’un faune’ set the standard for the rest of the night as the trilling flute and solemn oboe against the backdrop of romantic strings enveloped you in a blend of musical texture. Sitting completely enraptured as the orchestra moved from jovial, teasing melodies into smooth precise chords, it promised to be a good evening.
After explaining to us the struggles Gustav Mahler overcame to perform his work, conductor Christopher Swaffer led the orchestra into the first movement of Mahler’s ‘Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen’ with its alternating mournful, folky tune and lighter, buoyant key, laced with piano scales and delicate runs. This four-movement composition continued with the wonderfully bright sounds of bells and staccato ensembles. Joined by beautiful violin solos and echoing piano melodies, it was interjected with the soothing voice of soprano Alexa Mason as she sung about the joys of happiness. The mood abruptly changed in the third movement with the urgent sound of the piano and clashing minor keys in the strings as the song gathered emotion. The fourth and final movement wound through melancholic harmonies in the strings to Eastern-inspired rhythmic pizzicato, with a sobering tune led by the double bass. Ending on a happier, romantic note with a song about the linden tree, the overall effect of the arrangement was intense and moving.
Symphony. No 4 in G major, performed as the second tribute to Mahler, began with swooping, lyrical movements as the orchestra swelled in sound with superb rhythmic and dynamic changes. Utterly absorbing, the composition changed from repetitive loops and syncopated pizzicato while spoiling us with intense phrases from the piano and horn and enchanting duets between the flute and the cello. The tone was constantly shifting throughout the four movements from discordant unease to effortless, dreamlike cello solos, set off by the addition of Alexa’s confident voice. The exquisite use of silence allowed the music to linger through the pauses to create and truly magical sound. Focused and practised, the Auricle Ensemble created a wonderful evening of music.
