Bach sheds light in an impressively dark outing from the ACO

The Australian Chamber Orchestra at the Barbican

Alexander Melnikov

Jeroen Berwaerts and the ACO

By Nick Boston, 23 March 2025

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“there must always be a darkness lurking, however jaunty Shostakovich gets”

Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 21 March 2025

Bach, The Musical Offering, BWV1079: Ricercar a 6 (arr. Tognetti)

Bach, Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 in G major, BWV1048

Shostakovich, Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor for piano, trumpet and string orchestra, Op.35

Gubaidulina, Reflections on the theme B-A-C-H, for string quartet (arr. for strings)

Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 7 in E Flat Major, BWV876

Shostakovich, Chamber Symphony in C minor (arr. Rudolf Barshai), Op.110a

Hindemith, Trumpet Sonata (3rd movement)

Adès, Arcadiana, Op.12 Nr.6: Albion

Australian Chamber Orchestra

Richard Tognetti, Director, Violin

Jeroen Berwaerts, Trumpet

Alexander Melnikov, Piano

Ivan Podyomov, Oboe

Australian Chamber Orchestra in Melbourne: Gershwin, Shostakovich

Sandra Bowdler, 10th August

Two works by Shostakovich sandwiching Rhapsody in Blue made for an exhilerating concert from the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Melbourne

****1

Mesmerising, but relentless Brahms and Beethoven from the ACO

Zoltán Szabó, 11th February

Awe-inspiring performances of much loved classics in Sydney, yet the musical eyebrows have reasons to go (and stay) up.

****1

Why isn't the music enough? “Silence and Rapture” from the ACO

Sandra Bowdler, 14th August

Iestyn Davies joins the Australian Chamber Orchestra for music by Bach and Pärt in a programme featuring distracting modern dance.

***11

Symphony or song cycle? Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde in Sydney

Zoltán Szabó, 17th May

Mahler's epic five-movement symphonic song cycle is performed by a chamber ensemble with mixed results.

***11

A walk to Beethoven: Bezuidenhout and the Australian Chamber Orchestra

Zoltán Szabó, 23rd March

Kristian Bezuidenhout joins the ACO for a piecemeal programme leading to a complete performance of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto.

***11

Young Romantic masters played by the ACO and Polina Leschenko

Zoltán Szabó, 11th November

A terrific collaboration between Russian pianist Polina Leschenko and the Australian Chamber Orchestra in music by Chopin and Mendelssohn.

****1

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Nick Boston

Nick has an MA in Music, specialising in performance and repertoire. His particular passions are choral music, chamber music and opera, with a particular interest in early music. He sings in a number of choirs in the south east of England, plays the piano and occasionally dusts off the violin. He writes about music here.

Bach sheds light in an impressively dark outing from the Australian Chamber Orchestra