We last experienced Strauss's An Alpine Symphony at the 2003 Auckland Festival in a venture that mobilized the combined forces of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
On Saturday, the NZSO took on his epic of musical mountaineering all by itself, under the expert baton of David Zinman. And, having performed it in Wellington, just 24 hours previously, the players acquitted themselves admirably, both in musicianship and stamina.
An Alpine Symphony is one of Strauss's most approachable scores.
Its set pieces were brilliantly delineated. A cascading waterfall eventually revealed a mysterious Spirit of the Alps; later on, the raging of the celebrated storm was fired by the furious whirring of a wind machine, while thundering organ chords hinted at an imminent Apocalypse.
Perhaps the more literal scene painting, such as clanging cowbells in the meadow, might inspire a surreptitious smirk, although it was impossible to resist a rush of adrenalin at Strauss's effulgent sunrise and the C major triumph of a summit achieved.
