★★★★☆ TSO presents Mozart’s crowd-pleasing Requiem with an all-star group of soloists.

Federation Concert Hall
November 28, 2015

An all-star group of voices teamed up with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra to present one of the greatest works ever composed – Mozart’s Requiem. Dare to disagree with such high praise? Then you obviously didn’t see this spectacular live performance. Emma Matthews, Sally-Anne Russell, Steve Davislim and Teddy Tahu Rhodes formed a winning collection of soloists for the night, which began with a selection of arias, duets and a trio from Mozart’s various operas before the post-interval masterpiece.

The concert opened with Lieve sono al par del vento, an aria from Il sogno di Scipione. Matthews resembled royalty when she emerged in a tremendous turquoise gown, though her mischievous manner served the Mozart well. Sideways grins and quick vibrato matched the mood of this little piece, and a startlingly impressive high note had audience members gasp – and even chat about it after the concert. Unfortunately, the TSO’s small ensemble under the baton of Marko Letonja were so powerful that it was often possible to see Matthew’s lips moving but hear nothing of her voice at all.

Mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell entered next in an equally vibrant pink dress, with bass Teddy Tahu Rhodes positioned behind her and reaching for her as they sang a duet from Don Giovanni. No, this was not a properly staged production – but that certainly doesn’t mean it lacked theatrics, and the pair portrayed their characters with delight. As they eventually ended up in each other’s arms, Russell’s foot popped up in glee and celebration of their full and well-matched timbres.

Matthews was paired with tenor Steve Davislim in the following duet from opera buffa Cosi fan tutte. Regardless of the style in which Davislim sang, his voice was somehow sorrowful – certainly more fitting for the Requiem to come. Davislim missed a few of his high notes throughout the evening, but his chemistry with the group and the presence of the other singers made up for these minor indiscretions.

A trio from the same work saw Tahu Rhodes tower over the two ladies who stood in front of him – an odd position that solicited laughter from the audience. As they sang this Soave sia il vento, his tone cut through the air and often without vibrato. Is there anything more satisfying than a pure note from a bass singer? Well, yes – a pure note from a bass singer surrounded by two remarkable female voices. This little piece was a gentle highlight, but the crowd-pleasing whimsy of the first half soon gave way to the more serious work which followed.

The great Requiem slowly bobbed open as four rows of singers formed the TSO Chorus and the four soloists joined them, now dressed in black. Despite the reverberant nature of the hall and the issues this presented in the concert’s opening, in this work the voices were precise and rhythms clear. The immersive sound was tastefully formed. Particularly resonant double basses provided a dark foundation, and the chorus’s range of dynamics was astounding. In the Tuba mirum, the warmth of the trombone was offset by Tahu Rhodes’ crisp bass but, contrastingly, Davislim’s entry was so well matched with the brass instrument that it was often impossible to distinguish between the two sounds.

A satisfyingly angular Rex tremendae was followed by the Confutatis. Heavenly soprano and alto voices resonated through the hall, with evenly split sections from the lower end in this sort of homage to the obvious contrasts between masculine and feminine timbres.

The Requiem was a chance for the TSO Chorus to shine – the group gave a remarkable performance which rivalled the talents of the four big-name soloists who sat in the centre. Toward the end, it did plateau in energy – some movements were taken almost sluggishly slow when considering the heaviness of this work. But this didn’t detract from the overall success of the evening and it concluded with the longest round of applause known to man.