Sydney Symphony Orchestra I Cocktail Hour: Mozart and Harrison
October 22, 2025, Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House, NSW
Program
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A major, K 581
Harrison: Spitfire
Performers
Alexander Morris, clarinet
Lerida Delbridge, violin
Sophie Cole, violin
Justin Williams, viola
Timothy Nankervis, cello
Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet is a quintessential classical work. Performing it has both advantages and disadvantages. There is a huge and solid body of performance practice to draw upon; a great assistance is establishing a musical approach. But the downside is that the work should sound fresh while not disturbing the audience’s well established expectations to the point where they go away thinking they prefer their favourite recording. You want the audience to enjoy it, but also to feel they have learnt something. A fine line to navigate.
Tonally the clarinet stands in strong contrast to the strings, so dialogue between them is what directs both the composition and its performance. The opening string tone was a warm blanket of sound contrasted with a silky and lyrical melodic line from the clarinet.
The clarinet’s lower notes were dark coloured but never over dramatic. In the slow movement and the minor variation in the last movement, this added depth, yet Morris was never over dramatic, always concentrating on beauty of tone.
The performance was clear, restrained and dynamically well controlled, never tipping over into romantic indulgence. It is interesting with this work, that no matter how familiar it is, one is still surprised by the beauty of the unexpected wide melodic leaps in the clarinet part. Somehow Mozart has built the freshness into the black dots on the page, which is almost enough for the musicians just to go with it.
Many will know Holly Harrison as a prolific Sydney based composer whose works are full of energy, imagination and fun. Spitfire is no exception. It is scored for clarinet and string trio with a cameo appearances of the kazoo just for fun. Like its namesake, the RAF fighter plane, Spitfire is fast and agile as it scoops wildly about at full throttle. Harrison was commissioned to write a piece inspired by the 1930s, so naturally she turned to jazz. The opening clarinet slide is reminiscent not only of the swooping aircraft, but Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. There are hints of Ravel and Poulenc where the quartet played with intensity. In large part however it was more based on fun to be found in the influence of Django Reinhardt, Stephan Grappelli, the clarinet of Benny Goodman and many other wide ranging musical influences. While Harrison is a formidable talent, her music is lighthearted and above all fun.
Although written for a similar instrumental configuration, Harrison’s work couldn’t be more different to the Mozart. Instead of serious, highly structured elegance and beauty, there was chaotic, off-the-leash, unrestrained musical delight. There are not many composers who can make their audiences laugh out loud. What a delightfully varied concert!
These brief one hour “Cocktail” concerts are an easy-to-take experience which give individual members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra a chance to show their chamber music prowess. An excellent glass of wine, in this case from the “Handpicked” vineyards, does not go astray either. And now daylight saving is back, the 6pm start in the Utzon Room opens the harbour up as a glorious backdrop to an already wonderful musical event.
