At the end of this opening concert in this year's NZSO Hawke's Bay Subscription Series, the audience certainly knew they had experienced something uniquely special that would live long in the memory.
In advanced publicity there was a quote: "Until you've heard Martin Frost, you really haven't heard the clarinet".
That was certainly true for me. I've heard the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A Major K628 live numerous times but never a performance that matched that of soloist Frost. The elegance and style of his playing was all that could be desired in a Mozart performance, with an infinite range of dynamic contrast and every detail of phrasing in place.
The numerous cadenza-like passages, which permeate the first movement, were brilliantly played, the aria-like quality of the slow movement was exquisitely conveyed and the sense of climax achieved in the Rondo-Finale was the epitome of classical style, creating a brilliant end to the performance.
Yet, there was more to come - an encore of Giora Feidman's Klezmer Dance Let's Be Happy, had the audience agog and on their feet at the end in a prolonged standing ovation, having witnessed Frost's extraordinary virtuosity, demonstrating complete freedom in his control of every possibility of the instrument. Great playing also from the NZSO.