Barefoot Fiddler

Tonight the ACO brought Patricia Kopatchinskaja, AKA The Barefoot Fiddler to Brisbane.

Earlier in the day I listened to the performance from Perth via the ABC Classic FM web site. I wanted to be familiar with the music before I went to the concert. Even though I was at work and was interrupted a few times, I loved it. I was not worried about spoiling the concert. It's like comparing a CD from your favourite band to a live show.

I turned up a little early to QPAC to be told there was a pre-concert talk on the upper level. A lady was telling a group of concert goers about the music to be performed tonight. I started listening about half way through and heard a little about the Mendelssohn work and Ginastera's concerto. It was quite informative, especially her talk about Ginastera.

I bought my ticket fairly late. There appeared to be very few seats left so I ended up a few rows from the back. So you can imagine m surprise when the lights went down and more than half the seats in the upper balcony area were empty! I don't claim to know how concert tickets are sold but I can tell you I was a little disappointed. Why should the web site only show me a few available seats when so many were left empty? I suppose those tickets are reserved for subscribers or sponsors and the like. It's a shame then to see so many of them empty. You can bet if that happens next time I will take one of the empty seats for myself.

The staging was quite simple. There was a harpsichord in the middle of the stage. To my left were music stands for the first and second violins. In center stage behind the harpsichord were the violas, and on a raised stand to the right were chairs and stands for the cellos and double bass.

The musicians came out, and I soon spotted Patricia. Yes, she was the one without shoes. The program opened with the Adagio and Fugue by Mozart. No easing into things as this is a very dramatic piece right from the start. It was very hard to take my eyes off Patricia. It's not that she is especially pretty (from where I was sitting she looked as pretty as Maxim Bibeau LOL) but she had such energy and excitement, even when she was not playing. Some of her movements were quite dramatic. To be fair I did look at the other musicians. The other violinists with lead roles were Helena Rathbone and Rebecca Chan. Each of them had their own style and I enjoyed watching them all.

After this piece was Bach's Concerto For Three Violins. This is where the harpsichord was used. Apparently this was once a concerto for three harpsichords, and there were short segments between each movement. At the conclusion of this piece it was time for intermission.

When they came back on Maxim came out with the ACO's latest purchase - a double bass that was over 400 years old. It sounded amazing. I love the violin, but each time I see a cello or double bass I think to myself that I would jump at the chance to play one of those too. He played a short song on that which was very pretty.

Next was my favourite piece. It was Mendelssohn's Concerto For Strings in D Minor. It's on the list. I watched Patricia closely through the fast and furious sections and the slow ethereal sections high on the E string. It was almost breath-taking. And to think he was only thirteen when he wrote this. Thirteen. Unreal. And it was almost lost to the world until Yehudi Menhuin bought the manuscript in 1951 and performed it a year later.

They finished off with Ginastera's Concerto For Strings. This is a modern work with "guts and balls" according to the brochure. It is a modern work and was, like Patricia herself, energetic and exciting. The last movement, Finale Furioso, is described as a descent into Hell.

They came back for encore of two pieces. I could not hear very well as they announced what they were unfortunately. The first seemed to be a gypsy dance. At the very least it involved dancing. It was Patricia and the lead viola player and was quite a spectacle. And the second was Maxim in center stage with the double bass and another playful piece. They left the stage to loud applause.

I didn't quite know what to expect when I bought a ticket to the show. What I got was a great performance with a lot of energy and enthusiasm  and wonderful playing. I've said before that I don't know where my violin journey will take me. I can only hope to be part of at least one performance like that one