Plucky maestro de Maistre shows us harp magic

French harpist Xavier de Maistre is in huge demand throughout the world and now we can see why he is the pre-eminent master of the instrument’s 47 strings and seven pedals.

French harpist Xavier de Maistre performing with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra at City Recital Hall Angel Place. Picture: Steven Godbee

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MOZART famously disliked the flute, and he can’t have been that keen on the harp either as it turns up in only one of his compositions — paradoxically a concerto for both of these instruments.

His dislike of the woodwind instrument must not have been that deep because otherwise why would he as a 16-year-old have given it the lovely jaunty lead in the slow movement of his 20th symphony, which opened the latest tour of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra?

And one suspects that after watching Frenchman Xavier de Maistre make his Australian debut with a dazzling performance of Francois-Adrien Boieldieu’s harp concerto he couldn’t have failed to be impressed by that instrument’s possibilities in the hands of a true maestro.

The 44-year-old de Maistre is in huge demand from concert promoters throughout the world and is considered the pre-eminent master of the 47 strings and seven pedals that make up a modern concert harp.

Introducing him to the Sydney audience the ABO’s artistic director Paul Dyer wondered aloud why Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wasn’t in attendance as the French President Emmanuel Macron was — with discreet security if that was the case (he wasn’t there, it turns out).

LIGHTNING

After the orchestra’s fine handling of the young Mozart’s big occasion symphony, complete with horns, oboes, flute, bassoons and timpani, de Maistre took the stage for Boieldieu’s highly entertaining work. Better known for his operas, the composer was one of the leading lights of the beginning of the 19th century, earning himself the moniker of “the French Mozart” — every country had to have one — for his ear for a well turned out tune.

Xavier de Maistre performing with Paul Dyer and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Picture: Steven Godbee

He certainly threw all he could into this concerto, even including a short cadenza where the harpist can show the audience his portfolios of skills — including finger-breaking runs from both hands, lightning use of harmonics and spectacular trills and arpeggios. The final movement fairly rocks along with a dance-like theme in a minor key.

The orchestra opened the second half with another showstopper in Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach’s Symphony No 1 in D major, one of the composer’s pieces which set the symphonic template for Haydn and Mozart to follow and expand.

Full of Bach’s trademark sudden changes of key, rhythm and dynamic, Dyer and his team handled this demanding but entertaining work with impressive aplomb.

Here the audience was treated to a Rolls-Royce road test of harp virtuosity

A complete change of pace and mood followed with the ABO’s first ever venture into the magic world of Maurice Ravel, not a composer you normally associate with historically informed performance on period instruments.

If his gorgeous Pavane pour une infant defunte sounded a little less sumptuous than usual, the orchestra’s soloists didn’t disappoint, and special mention should be made of the leads of Doree Dixon and Michael Dixon performing on valveless horns.

This transition from the early Classical world of Bach to 20th century Romantic impressionism was a neat segue to the final part of the concert which was thrown over to a solo set from de Maistre. Here the audience was treated to a Rolls-Royce road test of harp virtuosity with two Spanish pieces — Manuel de Falla’s ever-popular Spanish Dance from La Vida Breve and Francisco Tarrega’s tremolo guitar piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra — and the barnstorming The Moldau section from Bedrich Smetana’s Ma vlast.

De Maistre’s easy stage manner and extraordinary musicianship and artistry — his long tapering fingers working themselves into remarkable configurations — brought the audience to its feet.

The concert is repeated at 7pm at City Recital Hall Angel Place on Friday, May 4; Saturday, May 5 (with a 2pm matinee); Wednesday, May 9, and Friday, May 11.

DETAILS

● CONCERT: The Harpist: Xavier de Maistre and Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

● WHERE: City Recital Hall Angel Place

● WHEN: Wednesday, May 2