Auckland Philharmonia at Aotea Centre

Reviewed by WILLIAM DART

Wagner certainly came up with the overture to end all overtures for Rienzi, and it provided a rousing launch for the Auckland Philharmonia's Thursday concert.

At its best when bold and brassy, this 12-minute spectacular was clearly a favourite of conductor Marc Taddei, a trombonist himself.

Whether drawing out the solo trumpet's opening note or unleashing those stupendous brass choruses, the man was in his element.

Inevitably, the rest of the orchestra struggled to be heard when brass were in full drive, although the violins added dash and fire, with their dancing lines almost enough to compensate for some ragged intonation.

It takes a challenge such as Beethoven's Emperor Concerto to reveal the considerable strengths of Diedre Irons as an artist.

The monumental first movement balanced thrust and composure; the tenderest of rubato almost transported the Adagio into Chopin territory; and the Finale was distinguished by the pianist's capricious sense of humour.

Although all this didn't come without the occasional blemish (most noticeably when the piano took off in the final Allegro), the absolute generosity of Irons' musicianship was never in doubt.

From the opening bars, this performance was clearly a collaboration, and moments like an alpine-flavoured trio with two horns had the collegial glow of chamber music.

Orchestrally speaking, the Beethoven had its brusque patches, including one astonishing bar in which pianist and orchestra did not arrive on an A flat chord at the same time and, here and there, phrasing was not always given the bloom called for.

Taddei and the orchestra had their turn to shine after interval in the expansive canvas of Rachmaninov's Second Symphony. Beautifully observed down to the last perdendosi, the conductor drew the optimum sound from the strings, creating a lushness that was only partly subverted by the Aotea acoustics.

It was a magnificent outpouring. Taddei didn't get distracted by passing surges and caught instead the sweep of the longer line.

Tiredness may have taken its inevitable toll as this long concert progressed, but the delights were many along the way - none more so than the lovely duet for clarinet and bassoon a little way into the Adagio.