The West Australian Symphony Orchestra’s (WASO’s) 2011 season is all about the burning passion of music: literally and figuratively.
For Margie Blades, Associate Concertmaster with WASO, that burning passion meant she nearly lost the 300 year old violin on loan to her in a house fire.
‘We’ve been told that it’s all too often that gas canisters can explode and we had the barbecue set up next to some old French wooden doors, so we’ve learnt not to do that again,’ Blades told OUTinPerth, having just moved back in to the home after several months of restoration.
‘Basically the whole bottom half of the house caught fire, and the firemen said that another five minutes and literally the whole house would have gone. Which means that the violins would have gone too.’
More specifically, the 300 year old Cappa violin on loan from Janet Holmes a Court.
‘As you can imagine I was hysterical knowing that the violins were in there but it was just too difficult to go in and grab them. It was too dangerous to make an attempt.’
But rescued they were. For Blades, her passion for music started young, her love for the violin a natural progression from childhood to now. It’s a passion that sees her play a truly magnificent instrument.
‘It turns 300 years old this year actually,’ Blades explained.
‘I was lucky enough to have Janet Holmes a Court sponsor the instrument: musicians aren’t the most highly paid of professions and artists often need benefactors.
‘So lucky to have Janet because I think she’s already bought three (instruments) for the orchestra, two violins and a double bass.’
Elsewhere within WASO and the burning passion for music manifests in Michael Waye’s love for an incredibly ‘difficult’ instrument: the piccolo.
‘I’m the thunder and lightning of the orchestra, along with percussion,’ Waye explained.
‘I’m usually used for the special effects. The piccolo is very loud and very high so it’s not an instrument you can use continuously. Well, not at least if you want to have friends and remain sane.
‘Beethoven uses it deliberately in the storm scene because it is very high pitched and it can penetrate through just about anything or any ensemble work the orchestra does it can ride on top of. Shostakovich uses piccolo a lot for its quirky nature.’
First violins are, typically, the only other instruments that can match the piccolo in pitch.
‘It’s a fairly complex relationship I have with the orchestra. People don’t like sitting next to me,’ Waye added. ‘(If the orchestra were a family) I think I’d be the eccentric unmarried aunt: she gets invited to dinner occasionally.’
‘Just make sure you don’t give her a drink though.’
Waye’s highlight for 2011 is a program called A Night In Vienna which includes a suite from Strauss. This particular night features an intimate look at aging.
‘It’s one of the first voyeuristic exposés of people aging, especially a woman. She’s only in her 40s but it’s a huge crisis about a young lover possibly going off with someone else. I think what might be of interest to your readers though is that it’s sung by two women, even though it’s a male/female association.’
For Blades, 2011’s highlight is a touch more personal.
‘A gentleman who saw me perform a Ross Edwards composition last year has commissioned Ross to write a new piece for violin and orchestra, which I will be doing the premier of next March. It’s the first concert of the subscription series.
‘It’s exciting to have an original piece to play by an Australian composer.’
Details of WASO’s 2011 season can be found at www.waso.com.au
COMING UP
If you can’t wait until 2011 be sure to check out gay French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet when he appears at the Perth Concert Hall on November 19 and 20, playing an Australian Premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Laterna Magica along with pieces from Grieg and Sibelius, accompanied by conductor Paul Daniel and WASO.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
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