Friday 20 March 2026

Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday)

Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, SSO. Alexander Soddy.

It is always a rare thrill to hear the mighty power of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall’s grand organ. And it was that very physical pleasure that was at the heart of this concert.

Making his debut with the SSO, British Guest Conductor, Alexander Soddy lead the orchestra through a program of romantic repertoire starting with Les Offrandes Oubliées by a young Olivier Messiaen. It was composed in 1931 at time when romanticism was giving way to modernism, and the 22 year old was beginning to find his unique individual voice. The lush rich melodies in the strings are ultra romanticism, but the harmonies go way beyond chromaticism stretching our ears in all sorts of unexpected directions. Soddy was able to extract all that and more from the orchestra while fluently managing the complex rhythms that were to become an integral part of Messiaen’s musical vocabulary.

Messiaen’s deeply held religious conviction is what informs his unique style of composing. The Forgotten Offerings (English translation) is divided into three distinct sections. The Cross is a mournful languid suffering that eventually gives way to The Sin, a breakneck gallop into darkness in which the rhythms and counter-rhythms play havoc with our senses (and I’m sure with the orchestra’s concentration). Needless to say, the Sydney Symphony was more than equal to the task. And finally the work resolves into a settled but questioning peace in the final section, The Eucharist, gradually getting slower and quieter as we disappear into heavenly oblivion.

Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, SSO. Maria Dueñas.

Bruch’s Violin Concerto needs no introduction, having become a staple in the concert repertoire. Tonight’s soloist was María Dueñas, an energetic 23 year old from Spain. She attacked the music with a youthful gusto that electrified the crowd. Her technique flawless, and her warm rich tones in the lower register were evident from the opening note, as were the sweet clear high notes that sang throughout the hall. She kept us captivated with sparkling fireworks of virtuosity throughout the concerto. Yes she hits all the high points of the music impeccably, but the key to the magic is the notes in between. The semi-quaver approaches up to those high points didn’t quite have the attention they deserved. With such talent at an early stage of her career, I anticipate an awesome talent after she has acquired a few more years of life experience. Let’s hope the SSO invites her back again.

Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, SSO. Anna Lapwood.

After interval it was time for the ‘Babe’ Concerto. Yes that famous section of the finale that introduced this stellar symphony to a wider popular audience via the soundtrack of the 1995 movie. Of course I refer to Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No.3 (Organ). As Alexander Soddy describes in the interview below, this Symphony is so much more than the immediately recognisable finale. Tonight’s organ soloist, Anna Lapwood, explained in the introductory talk, Saint-Saëns was a virtuoso organist and a champion of “modern instrumentation”. The organ first appears at the start of the 2nd movement in the poco adagio section. For me this is one of the most beautiful, moving moments in music ever. The quiet introduction of the organ evolves into a soft melody carried through the strings and supported by the winds. Maestro Soddy found the balance between the organ and the orchestra and controlled the shifting aesthetic of each to perfection. But it is the moment when the full power of the organ is unleashed in an all-stops open C major chord that literally shook the foundations of the hall. (I wonder if Utzon took that into account when he was grappling with the physics off his architectural design?) And when that chord resolves into the rippling magic of two pianos, the sparkle – incandescent.

The Sydney Symphony never fails to deliver, and tonight showed us why. Hats off to Guest Conductor Soddy who had only 3 days to get over jet lag, run a children’s concert, acquaint himself with a new venue and bring together the talents of 2 unfamiliar soloists and a gifted orchestra to become one united musical organism. Bravo indeed!