Dawn Upshaw tours with the ACO after their triple grammy whammy.

Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall

February 9, 2014

The Australian Chamber Orchestra, led by Principal Violinist Helena Rathbone, with guest artist soprano Dawn Upshaw, devised a well-structured, interesting program.

It opened with five pieces from John’s Book of Alleged Dances, a 1994 work by John Adams, originally written for the Kronos String Quartet but, of course, expanded here for the ACO strings. Three of the Dances also have a taped component of percussive rhythms played on a prepared piano. While something of Adams’ early minimalist influence is evident, this music is varied, Stravinskian, and exuberant. The ACO managed the syncopated rhythmic accents with real authority, and the music pulsed with energy. Principle cellist Timo Veikko-Valve was particularly impressive in his playing at the instrument’s topmost register. Grieg’s delightful Holberg Suite closed the first half of the concert, again dispatched with vigour and virtuosity. In between, Ms Upshaw displayed the clarity and purity of tone for which she is famous in Solveig’s Song from Grieg’s incidental music to Peer Gynt, and in a tender song by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, “Liebes-lied” (Love Song).

Two substantial works made up the second half...