The Dutch composer Louis Andriessen (1939-2021) left behind a staggeringly extensive body of work, hallmarked by a novel radicalism. Working hand in hand, Ensemble Offspring and Asko|Schönberg’s program for their Sydney Festival performance celebrated his work alongside that of Andriessen’s students and those inspired by him.
Opening the concert, Andriessen’s Elegy was made passionate, Romantic under cellist Blair Harris and pianist Alex Raineri – a rare glimpse of pure emotion from Andriessen, handled carefully and made to soar.
Hectic Tulips, by Damien Ricketson, received its world premiere here, a rhythmic game of cat-and-mouse accompanied by skittering electronic sounds that panned between two speakers overhead. Jason Noble (clarinets) and Claire Edwardes (percussion) donned headphones for a performance marred by issue of synchronicity between the two players. Noble’s execution was piercing, acute and the piece itself engaging, but a failure to lock in dragged the work down.
Ensemble Offspring excelled in David Lang’s sweet air, however. The balance between each member was tightly considered...
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