Music / “Darkness to Light”, Canberra Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble. At Albert Hall, May 21. Reviewed by ROB KENNEDY.

DARKNESS and light in music are revealed through varying tone colours, rhythms, major and minor keys and contrasting dynamics. This concert had all these and more.

The Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Chamber Ensemble always creates special concerts that have a wide appeal. This one was connected to the recent CSO performance of the Derek Jarman-inspired concert titled “Electric Blue”.

Filmmaker Derek Jarman was fascinated by darkness and light as well as how they shape our perception of colour and form. The CSO has drawn on his fascination to program this concert.

With an extra-large audience filling the Albert Hall, the concert began with the “Piano Trio in G minor”, op. 17, by Clara Schumann. This music is romantic at its core with the occasional swing. It’s full of beautifully designed musical ideas.

The balance of dynamics across the three performers was immediately apparent. The yearning music, somewhat classical, quite romantic, and full of emotional depth, expressed a feeling of understated passion. Each instrument gets to be heard equally while voicing their individual quality. The writing shows a command of all three instruments. It also proved an excellent knowledge of form and style.

Each movement is finely crafted to fit its form. Trio writing is where many composers get to show off their chops and this is a classic example of the highest quality writing for the Trio format.

Then, there was the performance. The three performers created a sumptuous sound world. They did a lot more than just play the notes. Human expression and articulation are what makes music the loved form that it is. These three turned an average Sunday afternoon into a magical experience.

The more lyrical music of Antonín Dvořák’s “Piano Trio No. 2 in G minor”, op. 26, followed. A two-chord dramatic blast opens this work. Dvořák, known for his folk melodies, is a monumental composer. Some of his music is the most famous the world over. His grand style shows through in almost all of his musical statements. This Trio is no different.

Unafraid to be loud, showy and boisterous, the music does not hold back. It dramatically shifts from pleasant melody to driving full chords. There are a lot of exclamation marks in this piece.

The Legato second movement is a thing of beauty. The voice of the cello sings its heart out. But when a phone went off in the audience, the players had to pause until it stopped; unbelievable. Fortunately, that didn’t distract the players from moving on to finish the intensely delicate and lyrical music in this slow second movement.

The scherzo is a colourful display of fireworks that offers something new every minute. The final allegro grabs listeners and forces them to take notice, just like the players did in this sparkling afternoon concert.