Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | Immortal Diamond
Oct 5, 2022, Hamer Hall Melbourne
Lisa Gerrard, Paul Grabowsky, MSO, conductor Benjamin Northey
“Immortal Diamond was largely composed during the dark winters of lockdowns and can perhaps be understood as a secular requiem for those who passed, and a prayer for better days ahead.” (Composer: Paul Grabowsky)
Starting the performance with a projection of the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins, which inspired the work, allowed the concert to start in silence but with an air of calm anticipation. Immortal Diamond was a piece of contrasts. The dissonances of some of the orchestral writing created an ethereal calm rather than terror or anguish. The traditional sound and full instrumentation of the orchestra, piano and choir sat beautifully beneath the amplified and reverb rich tones of Lisa Gerrard’s vocals.
The piece consisted of “five environments”; for the listener it basically ran continuously for an hour and floated through different sections. Extended sections for orchestra featured some atmospheric solos and Grabowsky’s use of layers in the orchestration allowed the work to move forward with changes of colour and mood that left the listener wondering how the sonic landscape had changed so much without them noticing.
There is no doubt that many in the large audience where there to see Lisa Gerrard. The somewhat uncategorizable musician entered the stage in a resplendent purple gown; the six metre long train brought gasps as it was carried behind her by stage crew. At times I wondered if Gerrard was improvising the soaring vocal lines, yet its perfection seemed to indicate exact planning. If it was composed note by note then I take my hat off to her skill in being able to perform such a large work with utter command and accuracy. In truth, the exact method doesn’t matter, the effect was an engaging, shimmering performance experience.
Photo credit: Laura Manariti
