Wonderful World was an ode to nature. A musical and visual reflection on the world’s beauty and a heartfelt artistic plea from cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca who is on a mission to awaken people’s awareness of environmental destruction and encourage them to take planet-friendly action.

Stunning visual imagery by cinematographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand was projected onto the back of the stage while the festival’s elite team of string players, dubbed an All-Star Orchestra, surrounded soloist and narrator La Marca.

This multi-media show packed a punch and disconcerted the audience with its occasional harrowing footage of extreme industrial pollution.

Christian-Pierre La Marca and ensemble: Wonderful World. © Frontrow Foto

Overall, this was a moving, mixed genre event with an easy listening playlist. The cameo presentations of 15 brief pieces were ideal to demonstrate La Marca’s astonishing instrumental voice, a miracle of eloquence and luxurious lyricism.

La Marca favoured a subdued aesthetic which was honoured by the ensemble’s crystal clear translucent accompanying lines and especially so by pianist Kristian Chong because the piano has such a potentially intrusive voice.

Chong’s discreet figurations developed into a more pronounced extroversion and fire in Fazil Say’s wonderful Sonata for Cello and Piano, and he deserves much credit for his consistently thoughtful astute yet self-effacing fingerwork which contributed a tantalising palette of pastel hues. Another standout was Bloch’s poignant prayer for cello and strings.

Musically, the selection was lush and tuneful, highlighting pieces in the vein of Mancini’s Moon River, Faure’s Après du Reve, and Harold Arlen’s Over the Rainbow arranged by Gassot and La Marca for Cello and String Ensemble. Bob Thiele’s What a Wonderful World, immortalised by the gravelly vocals of Louis Armstrong and obviously the music the concert was named after was the finale.

The standard of playing with Dene Olding, Dimity Hall, Doretta Balkivas, Irina Morozowa, Stephanie Farrands, Charlotte Miles, Leon Bosch and Chong was sophisticated and classy and La Marca’s sound a marvel of beautiful tone.

To be critical, while respecting La Marca’s mostly soothing selection of pieces presumably to offset the intermittent unsettling footage, a couple of harder hitting works wouldn’t go amiss to contrast with the largely saccharine flavour of the curated program.

Overall, a stylish and riveting show and yet another demonstration of how the festival is delivering performance in innovative ways.

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The Australian Festival of Chamber Music continues until 1 August.