Musical chemistry is difficult to explain in words. It is a mysterious communication between two players that is felt only in the music itself. Musica Viva’s Northern Lights at the City Recital Hall certainly emphasised the power of musical chemistry, moving listeners to experience new emotions in even some of the most well-known classics.
While hailing from vastly different continents, the duet’s Swedish Norwegian violinist Johan Dalene and Australian pianist Jennifer Marten-Smith showcased a deep musical connection in their ability to complement each other’s expressive energy.
Dalene is something of a musical prodigy. At only 24, he has performed on the world’s most prestigious stages alongside the likes of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berlin Radio Symphony, to name just a few. Marten-Smith is an equally prolific performer with an extensive portfolio in Australia and Europe as both a solo artist and an accompanist.
The performance was off to an effervescent start with Beethoven’s light-hearted ‘Violin Sonata in G Major’. While the playful bursts of violin melody and shimmering piano accompaniment made it easy to see why this piece has been given the cheeky nickname “champagne sonata”, the duo’s technical capacity did not go unheard. What was most notable across the three movements was the players’ practical ability to communicate with each other, complimenting or contrasting the other’s expressive mood, rhythmic patterns and tempo to form a balanced musical landscape. The violin and piano were heard as one instrument, reaching an energetic peak together that kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
This communication was equally displayed in their performance of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Memory of a Beloved Place’ and Grieg’s ‘Sonata No. 2 in G major’. Both pieces were majestic, lush with Marten-Smith’s chordal accompaniment and Dalene’s stratospheric violin melodies.
While the duo managed to create a deeply Romantic mood, they retained an honest and stripped back musicality. This was particularly refreshing to hear at a time when classical music is endless reworked by musicians who seek to offer new perspectives on some of our most loved pieces. Although there were times when their performance was slightly wooden and it was clear the audience wanted something more from the players in terms of connection, it had a nostalgic quality that was reminiscent of classical soirées in parlour rooms or salons.
Northern Lights also marked the world debut of the Musica Viva commissioned piece ‘Tilted Scales’ by Jack Frerer. Although the players clearly had a good hold of the composition’s technical demands which included jarring pizzicato motifs and gnarly diminished chords in the piano, the piece as a whole failed to create a sense of shape and meaning, leaving the audience ultimately unsatisfied at its conclusion.
The final piece was Ravel’s appropriately dramatic ‘Tzigane’, which included an extended violin solo cadenza that displayed Dalene’s virtuosic abilities. Marten-Smith was equally skilled on the piano with expressive arpeggio accompaniments and soaring legato melodies. Together, the players produced a thunderous conclusion that prompted loud applause and even standing ovations among the audience.
Northern Lights is technically profound as it is emotionally evocative. The duo certainly created a chemical reaction in their performance, and as Dalene himself said, the music seems “to just explode” when they are on stage together. These reverberations are sure to be felt long after the audience have taken their leave.
Northern Lights showed at the City Recital Hall on June 23.
