Wednesday 21 October 2026

Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday)

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra ; Robert Nairn ; CRH ;October 21st 2026

It’s not often you get to hear a world premiere of a work that is around 200 years old, but in this current Australian Brandenburg Orchestra tour we witnessed the first performance of the Concerto for Violone in E-flat Major by Ignaz Pleyel. Until recently this concerto was attributed to Johannes Sperger, a double bass player from Moravia. Musicologist, Darija Angelic-Andzakovic is a Pleyel specialist, and she suspected Sperger was not the composer, and as tonight’s soloist, Robert Nairn explains in the interview below, through extensive research and techniques such as palaeographic analysis and scribal profiling, she was able to establish the concerto’s true origin.

Nairn explains the violone is not the easiest instrument to play. It’smade more difficult on this occasion by the work requiring the unusual Viennese tuning of F-A-D-F♯-Athat he hasn’t played for some years. But his performance told a different story. The solo instrument slowly separates from the ensemble over the first theme to emerge as a rich lower string melody before it takes up the virtuosic role of a typical concerto. Nairn’s two cadenzas shone a light on his remarkable skill. Pleyel showcased the full range of this instrument’s capabilities, with double stopping a feature of the first cadenza. The cadenza at the end of the Adagio movement was entirely plucked pizzicato on all five strings, often simultaneously, the frets of this instrument allowing it to be played like a guitar. And the loyal Brandenburg fans were in rapturesshowing their appreciation with thunderous applause.

The concert opened with a short Sinfonia by Salieri from his comic opera Cublai, gran Kan de Tartari, a satirical work about the Mongol chief reflecting the burgeoning interest in Orientalism in classical music – an interesting piece, although there were no obvious Eastern themes in the melodies. The opera was a barely disguised criticism of the Russian Imperial Court and it was banned during Salieri’s lifetime, so it’s wonderful to hear it in a new context.

The program also included two works from Mozart. Firstly his delicious Divertimento for Strings that we regrettably recognise from its prolific use in TV commercials. Nonetheless a great work from a master at the height of his formidable powers which is why it is so attractive to advertisers.

And the show finished with Mozart’s Symphony No.39, one of his final works where he had reached a level of maturity and original compositional style that jettisoned the Classical Era to a higher level. The expanded Brandenburg Orchestra (winds, brass and timpani) came into their own in this work, with Mozart’s melodic skill and descriptive orchestration on full display here. Artistic Director, Paul Dyer even showed us how much this work meant to him by changing into a lush, emerald green, beautifully fitted velvet jacket for the entire 2nd half of the program.

The Brandenburgs always delight their adoringfans who are no doubt looking forward to the annual Xmas concert, Noel, Noel – so look out for that, it’s always a much loved festive crowd favourite.

Tour continues at City Recital Hall until 27 October.

You can listen to a recent interview with Violone soloist Robert Nairn below: