Review: WASO’s Radiant at Government House Ballroom
WASO’s Radiant at Government House Ballroom
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Government House Ballroom is certainly one of the most, if not the most, beautiful rooms in Perth. Completed in 1899, with its thirty-by-twelve-metre dancefloor, grand collonaded balconies and arched arcades, glittering chandeliers, and ornate ceiling, all enclosed by a charming elliptical wall, it is second in size only to Government House Victoria’s ballroom. Modest by international standards, it is nonetheless a fine example of Australian Colonial architecture—with excellent acoustics.
In its 126 years, the Ballroom has hosted many official state ceremonies, society weddings, concerts, and, of course, balls. There was even a notorious murder committed there—a jilted lover enacting her revenge, literally a murder on the dancefloor.
It’s little wonder, then, that WASO chose the ballroom as the setting for its Chamber Series—the mood of the room matches the tone of the music. Even so, for those vertically challenged folk seated up the back, the confluence of the flat floor and low stage was a distinct disadvantage. Although they could hear the beautiful music perfectly, with only the odd partial glimpse of the musicians, their view was dominated by the gentle pink light bouncing off the archways and the backs of too many towering heads. A raked venue like UWA’s Octagon Theatre, which has similar capacity and acoustics, may have better suited their concert experience.
Apart from this, though, last Sunday afternoon’s show was excellent.
This is the first time since COVID that WASO has presented a Chamber Series. In counterpoint to the usual symphonic fare, the program gives the orchestra an opportunity to present another side of the classical canon while exploring and exposing the range of talent within its ranks.
As a further twist in the presentation, the pieces in the series were chosen by the musicians themselves. The full orchestra was asked what works they would like to perform, and a selection of the individual responses were curated into this three-part series. The first, Radiant, presented three works in distinct styles that each engaged a different ensemble. Only one player, Associate Principal Second Violin Kylie Liang, was featured in more than one piece.
The concert’s opening half was given over to Nordi Noir—or more precisely Finnish Noir: Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) and Olli Mustonen (b. 1967). It began with Sibelius’ String Trio in G Minor, an incomplete student work from 1893-94.
Nominated by Kylie Liang, she said of it:
“Sibelius’ raw intensity and enthusiasm are very much present without compromising the emotional depth that is quintessential to [his] style. Its expressive song-like romantic melodies, [give] us an opportunity to explore the spirited interplay and warm lyrical lines that continually pass between violin, viola and cello.”
The one slow movement prefigured Sibelius’ later, more famous single-movement Symphony No. 7. A short, intense and at times turgid work, the players were nonetheless vivacious in their delivery.
The second piece, Mustonen’s Nonet #2 (2000), threw the program forward into the postmodern era.
A ‘nonet’ is a work for nine musicians, in this case all strings: four violins, two violas, two celli and a double bass.
A dark and prickly first movement gave way to an incredibly delicate and melodic second. Tender, moving and poignant, the division of single melody lines across the four string groups was arresting. This segued into a haunting call and response underpinned by gentle bowing.
Nonetto No. 2, as the piece is known in its native language, is among Mustonen’s most frequently performed chamber works. Led by associate concertmaster Riley Skevington, the audience was shown why.
The closing part of the concert was devoted to Franz Schubert and his famous Octet.
Schubert is now regarded as among the greatest classical composers, yet during his lifetime his music was neither widely known nor often performed. When he died in 1828 at the tragically young age of 31, he had only ever given one performance of his own compositions, and his wider oeuvre was familiar to but a small circle of cognoscenti. That’s amazing for an artist who composed some 1,500 works, including nine completed symphonies and more than 500 songs, and puts him in the same corner as Vincent Van Gogh.
His six-movement Octet in F dates from 1824 and was composed following a request from the clarinettist Count Ferdinand von Troyer for a work similar to Beethoven’s Septet (Schubert added an extra violin). The two are now regarded as companion pieces.
Violinist William Huxtable nominated the Octet for this concert. His reason:
“The work is immense in scale, with each movement adding new colours and characters to Schubert’s tapestry. I particularly love the wonderful blend of sound [he] creates between these eight instruments.”
As well as the two violins, the instruments in this mix are viola, cello, double bass, clarinet, bassoon and French horn.
Like the Mustonen, the work spans a wide emotional range. From a dark start it quickly jollies up, then, in mimicry of the call and response that dominates its fifth movement, like the play of sunshine and cloud across an autumn sky, moves back and forth between introspection and grandeur. In the end the sunlight breaks through with the dominance of joyous melodies.
A complex and engaging work, it was the perfect tonic for a grey autumn afternoon.
If this opening concert is a fair indication, the WASO 2025 Chamber Series should be a great success. The full house audience was appreciative in their applause and departed Government House in a jolly mood.
The next concert in the series, Rapture, will be presented in the ballroom on Sunday, August 3.
IAN LILBURNE
Photos by Daniel James Grant
