Review: Orchestra attracts new fans with captivating programme

James Judd had the audience in his hand.

Here was a programme of glorious dances and mighty displays of orchestral splendour and music of the widest possible appeal.

NZSO music director Emeritus James Judd was on the podium - a first-rate communicator who had the large audience in the palm of his hand with his spot-on, spoken introductions.

Both in the concert and the pre-concert talk, he was effusive in his praise of the NZSO.

"This is a world-class orchestra that can hold its place on any concert platform around the world," he said.

The famous William Tell Overture made a splendid opening to the programme, with the haunting opening from the five cellos, the later exquisite cor anglais solo, the brilliant storm music and the final Lone Ranger music sweeping the listener along.

The four sections of the Aaron Copland's Rodeo gave every section of the orchestra spectacular opportunities to show their wares - and they certainly did this in a captivating and exuberant performance.

The opening Buckaroo Holiday certainly sounded festive with its syncopated phrases, while every rhythmic feature was in place in the Hoedown Finale, with opportunity for the audience to join in.

Tchaikovsky's famous Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture showed the composer's immense skill as an orchestrator and the players certainly matched the composer's eloquence with their consummate skill - superb string tone in the love scene and powerful aggression from all the wind and percussion in the confrontation between the Montagues and the Capulets.

The conductor described the two selections - WN and Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations - as a teaser and indeed it was, with the audience wishing for more of this luscious playing.

But there was more, in a grandiose-sounding performance of the Johann Strauss II On the Beautiful Blue Danube and all the fireworks of his Thunder and Lightning Polka.

Added to all that were the raunchy Can-Can Polka from Orpheus in the Underworld and Wagner's all-dominating Ride of the Valkyries, where the brass section let rip in an impressive display.

The NZSO will have certainly gained new fans with this programme.

Roll on the 2016 series of concerts.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Subscription Series Concert
Classical Hits
Directed by James Judd
Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppanen
Napier Municipal Theatre
Wednesday, September 23