Tasmanian talents spring to life with impressive, seasonal repertoire.

Farrell Centre, Hobart 

August 24, 2014

Although there is still a dusting of crisp white snow on Mt Wellington, daffodils are blooming and spring is on the way. This joyous image of spring was mirrored by the virtuosic performance of Andrew Seymour, Principal Clarinet of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Hobart pianist extraordinaire Karen Smithies and the TSO’s Principal Double Bass Stuart Thomson in the final concert in Hobart this year of ABC Classic FM’s Sunday Live series. With its honey-coloured wood panelling, the spacious Farrell Centre provided a superb acoustic venue.

Traditional composers Debussy and Brahms bookended twentieth century works by Gould and Donatoni. Premiere Rhapsody for Piano and Clarinet was composed as an examination performance piece for clarinettists by Debussy, following his appointment to the Board of Directors at the Paris Conservatoire by none other than Gabriel Faure. Seymour would have passed the exam with flying colours, for his performance was soaring and colourful, with effortless trills and carefully controlled dynamics. Smithies and Seymour shifted seamlessly through dynamic variations to create expressive phrasing, particularly in the upper registers of both instruments. Seymour’s performance explored fully the variety of colours available...