A night of telling tales lay ahead when Eckehard Stier took the podium on Thursday for his penultimate appearance as Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's music director.
Yet perhaps, with more empty seats than usual for this Fairytales concert, Aucklanders are less susceptible to the charms and mysteries of the legends that once charted childhood. There was a warm response, though, when Stier dealt out the familiar plot of John Corigliano's Pied Paper Fantasy, a 1978 work that is a flute concerto in all but name.
During his tenure with the APO, Stier has brought us much of this American composer's music, although none with the substance of the First Symphony, delivered here three years ago. This offering, however, came with fringe benefits that highlighted the orchestra's admirable commitment to spreading music throughout our community.
For the first half of the Fantasy, some may have been astonished by the musical adventurousness of it, with elements that might have come from a lesser Ligeti - Stier had already told us that the sun would rise brilliantly and Corigliano's portrayal of the rats was "scary".
Soloist Adam Walker was an incalculable asset, dressed in cape and hat for the part, switching from concert flute to tin whistle to tempt the Hamelin youngsters. He tossed off his central cadenza with dashing style and, alongside him, orchestral players were inspired in their own virtuosic feats, particularly in the percussion department.
