Connecting the power of nature and the power of music

Visual elements were a major feature of Dan Toepfer’s performance at the Melbourne Planetarium.credit:

As he played, a coded algorithm prompted his Disklavier to respond, giving the impression that Toepfer was accompanied by a pair of invisible hands. At the same time, visual representations of pitch, harmony and rhythm danced across the dome of his Melbourne planetarium, building simple geometric shapes into his elaborate 3D fractals and spiraling polychromatic mandalas.

It was an awe-inspiring show that blended amazing creativity with complex music theory and physics.

Jazzlab, on the other hand, hosted two enthusiastic groups led by South American expats. New York-based Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana fronted a tightly focused quartet, but I preferred Meletrio’s more lively music.

Led by Brazilian-born, Europe-based musician Emiliano Sampaio, Meletrio fused intricate themes with vivid Brazilian rhythms, enhanced by Heinrich von Karnein’s frenetic flute and saxophone.

Meletrio at Jazzlab with (from left to right) Emiliano Sampaio, Gustavo Boni, Heinrich von Carnein and Luis Oliveira.credit:

Al di Meola and Lara Hathaway, two of the festival’s most famous names, gave sophisticated concerts full of musical intelligence, but both were so sophisticated that they left little room for spontaneity. rice field.

Di Meola’s guitar virtuosity was dazzling, but something lacked fire.

Lara Hathaway of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.credit:Mark Gambino

Lara Hathaway’s brilliantly polished, understated vocals are at times overwhelmed by the sprinting of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the sumptuous arrangements designed to showcase songs by her late father Donnie are at times in easy-listening territory. I slipped.

On the closing night of the festival, Yuin composer/musician Brenda Gifford presented a mesmerizing piece inspired by the migration of whales (Moriyawa) and their importance in the story of creation.

Brenda Gifford (seated, right) at the closing night of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival with pianists Andrea Keller and Joe Brown McLeod.credit:

Although Gifford played saxophone in sympathetic ensembles (featuring members of the Australian Art Orchestra), her primary role was as a composer and cultural guide, taking musicians and audiences deeper into her country. was.

Yes, the suite vividly evoked majesty, the whistles, the vibrations of sound, the majestic breaches of whales. It is conveyed with quiet force by Gifford’s nephew Joe Brown MacLeod’s yidaki (didgeridoo), clapping, and whispering Durga narration. .

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Here, too, the power of nature and the power of music are two sides of the same coin, tapping into something primal and indescribably profound.

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