By Reviewed by Martin Duffy
MUSIC
AUSTRALIAN BRANDENBURG ORCHESTRA ★★★☆
Melbourne Recital Centre
February 23
The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra's Paul Dyer demonstrates unerring ability to identify emerging early music vocal talent. Making their Australian debuts Argentinian soprano Marian Flores and Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimaraes joined the ABO for an all-Handel program to open their 2015 season.
Opening night: Guest soloists Fernando Guimaraes and Marian Flores with the 2015 Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.Credit: Steven Godbee
The familiar Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon was an effervescent opener, though it proved challenging for the period oboes to keep pace. Guimaraes' velvety, flexible tenor and confident declamation were a good fit for his solo cantata Look down, harmonious saint.
The centrepiece of this concert was the full presentation of Handel's cantata setting of Dryden's text in homage to the patron saint of music, Ode for St Cecilia's Day. As the last of eight performances this program felt comfortably bedded down, although its third repeat in as many days may have contributed to subtle signs of vocal strain. Many elements of this airing impressed – the cohesiveness of the front desk violins under guest leader Brendan Joyce, Jamie Hey's beautiful cello obligatti, excellent period winds and brass, and the 18-voice Brandenburg Choir who convincingly reinforced the maxim that well-blended and accurate voices always triumph sheer numbers.
Flores has a lovely, clear soprano, yet like Guimaraes could occasionally lose power lower down. Her English diction required concentration, but her accurate pitch, lack of vibrato, dynamic expression and vocal imitation of a trumpet were compensation. Best in the Italian duet Tra amplessi innocenti, her ringing clear tone formed a well-contrasting vocal blend with the warmer timbres of Guimaraes.