In an intimate, small-scale presentation at the Blackwood Box stage in the Meat Market, North Melbourne’s iconic live entertainment space, Orchestra Victoria presented an 'hour of power' of three atmospheric works by Russian and Australian composers.
Under the sprightly baton of conductor Carlo Antonioli, the orchestra’s vivacious performance was guided by the warm presence of ABC Classic presenter Stéphanie Kabanyana Kanyandekwe, here serving as the evening’s effervescent MC.
Beginning with a neon-infused mixer featuring a menu of bespoke cocktails related to the evening’s programmed works – lots of fun puns, with the drinks themselves being supremely delicious – the attendees took their seats in a shallow horseshoe surrounding the stage, just a few feet from the orchestra.
It’s an unusual and wonderful experience to be seated so closely within the proximity of the performers that you could practically follow the notes of their scoresheets, giving the evening’s showcase an added sense of intimacy and invitation.
Beginning with the first two movements of Prokofiev’s ‘Symphony #1: “Classical”’, a markedly upbeat and ornate work, the tone for the evening was quickly and firmly established as one of energetic fun. The acoustics of the small, low-ceiling Blackwood Box stage enhanced this deeply personal style of performance, granting the evening the overall impression of being among friends playing for you in the living room.
Between each piece, Kanyandekwe provided a contextual overview of what we were about to hear, like an in-person rendition of her work on ABC Classic. Besides being equally charming and educational, it was a great treat for those such as myself who tune into the station as a soundtrack for their commutes to and from work.
Image © Tim Neal
The evening also allowed for an hour of mingling afterwards with musicians and attendees alike. It was here that, when speaking with Kanyandekwe directly, I was told that classical concerts of old used to operate in this first-person capacity. The conductor – often the composer themselves, presenting their own compositions – would engage the audience and share the story behind their work, as a means of encouraging word-of-mouth for future performances.
So much of Orchestra Victoria’s Meet @ The Market series encourages this kind of enthusiastic first-hand engagement, not only discussing the piece we had just seen performed but also to invite conversation with those outside the live music circuit.
The cocktail-polished mixer at the end of the evening granted valuable opportunity to speak with the performers of Orchestra Victoria, as well as other guests which, in my case, involved a lengthy conversation with ABC Classics presenter and 'Untitled Goose Game' composer Dan Golding. To speak at length with such an interesting and storied composer – and co-host of the brilliant movie soundtracks podcast ‘Art Of The Score’, into which I have buried countless hours – was a real joy.
Bringing Melburnians so much more than the spectacle of outstanding live performance – with special praise afforded to the transportive work of solo cellist Melissa Chominsky and her fiendishly complex rendition of Shostakovich’s ‘Cello Concerto #1’ – Orchestra Victoria’s intimate Meet @ The Market concert proved an indulgence in both sound and socialising.
