Concert Review by composer Christopher Marshall

On Saturday evening we attended a performance in Melbourne’s Scott Center by the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra: two works by Rachmaninoff directed by Aaron Collins. I knew of his Symphony No. 1 basically by its reputation - the premiere under a drunk conductor and ill-prepared orchestra, the brutal critique causing the composer to sink into severe longterm depression. However, this was the first time I’d actually heard the piece. It certainly has a raw, nervous energy to it - mercurial changes of mood and texture, from the long and passionate cello passages in the first movement to the striking, trumpet dominated opening of the last. The 'Dies Irae' material that is an occasionally irritating presence through most of Rachmaninoff’s music is more subtly integrated here. Collins was at the top of his game, tying all the disparate threads together in a convincing performance, warmly received by the very large audience.

It was fitting that the work whose failure led to Rachmaninoff’s depression preceded the one that was the first fruits of his recovery, the glorious Piano Concerto No. 2, dedicated to his therapist. Soloist Jamila Tekalli was impressive, not only effortlessly owning the the piece’s prodigious technical challenges but showing an intuitive understanding of the work’s emotional topography as well - those long, arching phrases, meltingly beautiful. I hope we will have another opportunity to witness this artist in action before long. Collins and the orchestra matched Tekalli’s mastery in a most sensitive performance: particularly memorable, the poignant clarinet solo in the second movement. The sudden burst of optimism that concludes the concerto provoked a very long cheering standing ovation. What a rewarding concert!

Christopher Marshall/Facebook