Virtuosi Tasmania Inc

CD Review
Vivaldi Concertos - Virtuosi Tasmania
Virtuosi Tasmania Records 002

This is Virtuosi Tasmania's second CD following hard on the heels of their first release, featuring soprano Annalisa Kerrigan, released in November 2009.
As with the previous CD, it was recorded in the marvellous acoustic of Hobart's Government House Ballroom. The resulting collection is a worthy representation of the high standards achieved by Virtuosi Tasmania in recent years, though, at just over 45 minutes, the playing time is a tad ungenerous for a modern CD.
Among his compositions in many forms, Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) wrote around 550 concertos, the most famous by far being "The Four Seasons, formerly known as Op 8, No 1-4 from the set of 12 works titled "The Trial between harmony and invention".

The 5 works performed here attest to the high quality of many of his other concertos and are identified using the recent RV catalogue by Peter Ryom. The flute (RV 439) and oboe (RV454) pieces are both delightful and beautifully performed by Lloyd Hudson and Dinah Woods respectively. The Concertos for Two Violins (RV 522) and Three Violins (RV551) are perhaps more musically inventive and are excellently realised by sisters Susanna Lazaroff, Alison Lazaroff-Somssich and Rosalin Lazaroff.
While period instruments and style are the norm in recordings of this repertoire these days, these fresh and intelligent performances take a middle course stylistically and should give great pleasure. Star Rating 4/5.

Peter Donnelly

Coal Valley Chamber Music Festival 2O10 Romantic Strings: Elinor Levy, Rohana Brown, Anthea Hetherington, Laura Thomson (violins); Rodney McDonald, Anna Larsen (violas); Dale Brown (cello); Stephen Martin (double bass) Meadowbank Estate

THIS concert concluded Virtuosi Tasmania's enterprising second Coal Valley Chamber Music Festival.
The four concerts, at three delightful venues, amply demonstrated the wide-ranging repertoire choices available to Virtuosi through its pool of talented musicians.
For this performance, a string ensemble presented contrasted works by Neilsen, Elgar and Tchaikovsky.

Neilsen's Little Suite for Strings, an early work from 1888, was a delightful opener, followed by the short and intensely emotional Elegy for Strings Op 58 by Elgar.
Tchaikovsky's superbly crafted and melodious Serenade for Strings in C, Op 48 was written as a homage to his idol Mozart.
The players produced fine ensemble throughout, with some especially distinguished work from Dale Brown on cello.
The Elegie movement was beautifully poised, the performers concluding with a joyous burst of energy in the Finale.

Peter Donnelly, Mercury 10/02/10

Jazz sensation

WE have just witnessed the Virtuosi Tasmania 2010 Coal River Chamber Music Festival. What a magnificent event.
My wife and I decided to return to our early jazz days and attend the Tribute to Brubeck held in The Barm, Belmont Lodge, Ppoley Wines.
A capacity audience was rapt to hear what could only be described as true jazz performed by skilled lovers of music.
If the master Dave and innovator Paul could have been there to listen to their renditions of Take Five, Three to get Ready and many others, they would have"applaude0 as long as the entranced audience did.

Congratulations to Stephen Martin on bass and Fred Bradshaw (alias Paul Desmond) for their on-the-ball commentary and music.
They were ably helped by Daniel Sulzberger on piano and Eric John-stone on drums.
The hosting of this music by John Pooley provided an excellent venue and his after-concert light fare was a setting where old friends lingered and took in the Coal River scenery.
As an ancient broadcaster of the early Brubeck era, I could only describe the experience as a big tick of approval for Virtuosi Tasmania and John Pooley.

Ken Buntain Lindisfarne
Mercury Letters 15/02/10

Coal Valley Chamber Music Festival Trigon Trio: Barbara Jane Gilby, violin; Janet Rutherford, viola; Brett Rutherford, cello St Luke's Church, Richmond

ALL the evidence of fine ensemble playing was present in Trigon Trio's concert, opening with Allegro, the only movement of Schubert's Trio No. 1 in Bflat major D 471 (Unfinished). In classical sonata form, its faithful execution revealed much of Schubert's warmth and style.
Francaix's short String Trio contains a profusion of emotions from edginess to levity and humour. It was crisply delivered, with Barbara Jane Gilby making the most of a bewitching violin part in the Andante. In contrast Leo Werner's String Trio in G minor Op 6(1908) was a much more serious piece.

The relatively unknown Hungarian composer came to Trigon's attention via the internet.
Composed when Weiner was just 23, the trio is suggestive of Elgar in the Allegro con brio, but belongs with the late Romantic period.
The group proved their capacity to deliver a thoughtful interpretation, especially in Andantino, whose theme and variations include eloquent parts for all players.
The church supplied amazing acoustics.

Elizabeth Ruthven Mercury

Coal Valley Chamber Music Festival
Jane Edwards, soprano; David Nuttall, oboe; Elinor Levy, Rohana Brown, Anthea Hetherington, Laura Thomson, violins; Rodney McDonald, viola; Dale Brown, cello; Stephen Martin, double bass
Meadowbank Estate

ACCOMPLISHED individuals from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra have given the first of four concerts in the Coal Valley Chamber Music Festival.
Vivaldi's Concerto for Oboe and Strings in F Major RV455 was sensitively played with careful attention to dynamics.
Apart from a relaxed tempo in the first movement, David Nuttall's display was virtuosic, particularly in the third movement, Allegro.
Corelli's Concerto Gros-so Op 6 No.6 in F major began with a delicious, soothing Adagio. The following energetic Allegro placed demands on cohesiveness, until effective interplay and consistent tempo ensured remaining movements were joyful.

Bach's Cantata BWV 199 Mean Herze schwimmt im Blut was the standout item. Jane Edwards gave a thrilling interpretation of the text, dramatically expressing elements of an emotional journey without compromising pitch or tone.
In a consistently beautiful performance, high points were Aria II Stumme Seufzer, where Nuttall supplied well sustained oboe obligato; and Chorale, with matching viola obligato.
The audience showed real appreciation of this fine start to Virtuosi Tasmania's musical year.

Elizabeth Ruthven Mercury

CD Review
Virtuosi Tasmania in Concert with Annalisa Kerrigan
Virtuosi Tasmania Records

IT is 20 years since the Tasmanian Symphony Chamber Players released their award-winning CD of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.
Renamed Virtuosi Tasmania, these musicians, drawn mainly from the TSO, have established a considerable reputation in recent times for their imaginative and high-quality performances at various venues around the state.
This recording was made in the glowing acoustic of the Ballroom of Government House, Hobart, in August last year.
The opening, Corelli's Concerto Grosso Op 6 No. 24 brings fresh,

alert playing that, along with Mozart's Divertimento K 1374, is the highlight of the disc. The timbre of Annalisa Kerrigan's voice wil not appeal to everyone. Her clear but cool delivery applied intelligently to a selection of popular arias by Purcell, Handel, Paisiello and Mozart is especially effective in a beautiful rendition of Purcell's Music for a While. The inclusion of Puccini's O mio babbino caro seems curiously out of place, given the other repertoire choices. Overall an enjoyable collection.

Peter Donnelly Mercury Magazine 12/12/09 page 7