Rising star Ellie Malonzo returned to her alma mater Perth Modern School for a prodigious reading of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with Fremantle Chamber Orchestra and conductor Paul Wright on Sunday.
Malonzo’s expression and technique explored light and shade in an ethereal opening solo, deeply meditative over undulating accompaniment, to launch the Allegro moderato first movement.
Agile flurries dazzled yet kept faith with the music, rolling naturally from bow and fingerboard in deft double-stopping, tantalizing trills and crystalline harmonics.
FCO generated drama under Wright’s baton, affording a firm platform for a scintillating solo cadenza to test a remarkable talent.
Malonzo met every challenge with calm assurance as fluid harmony and frenzied melody suffused the hall in cascades of sound and an aura of promise ahead of her departure to study in London.
Poignant woodwind set the scene for the Adagio second stanza, a solemn serenade drawing fresh draughts from Malonzo’s violin, richly sonorous with soulful resonance.
FCO again brought the drama to offset multiple pin-drop moments. By turns rhapsodic and tragic, Malonzo found an operatic edge in peerless pianissimo and fierce fortissimo, finally settling in quiet contemplation like an afterglow of sunset.
She stepped up another level for the fiendish finale, a tour de force of harsh, gritty bowing and filigree fingerwork over pulsating orchestral effects.
Heroic strains from the ensemble and a reassuring glance from Wright buoyed the soloist to new heights, her sinuous display illuminated by electrifying flourishes in a helter-skelter canter to the conclusion and well-earned applause.
FCO opened the bill with Albicastro’s Concerto in C major; a Baroque gem directed decisively by Wright on violin. Clean-cut chords and gentle tutti tones neatly matched his lead with seemingly effortless grace in the Andante first movement.
Just as crisp in the Allegro second stanza, Wright modelled changes in tempo and dynamics with delicate control fine-tuned for the small string ensemble.
A seamless link to the Tremolo Spiccato Adagio third movement, handled with grave aplomb, flowed smoothly to the Allegro finale where cello (Miah Smith) and bass (Oakley Paul) kept a steady beat as Wright raced through virtuosic strains to a dramatic dismount.
Woodwind, brass and timpani joined strings for Haydn’s “Surprise” Symphony No.94 in D minor, its graceful classical sway complementing the clarity of the Albicastro before exploding into full symphonic voice with the enthusiastic entry of the reinforcements.
Wright’s connection with the ensemble translated instantly from soloist-director to conductor, drawing all elements together with practised ease.
Strings softly opened the Andante second stanza, with “surprise” interjections from timpani (Amanda Dean), woodwind and brass striking a fine balance between comic timing and musical taste.
Waltzing confidently into the Menuetto third movement, tempi and dynamics were fluent with a hint of whimsy, almost anticipating another surprise.
Precision was again a hallmark of the Allegro molto finale, building to a glorious farewell fanfare.
Ellie Malonzo is fundraising to support her studies at Guildhall School of Music. Go to: artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000iBX7N/a-journey-of-passion-ambition-in-music
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