Holy Trinity Cathedral
Review: Tara Werner
Summer concerts have their drawbacks: the atmosphere in Holy Trinity was humid and hot and the musicians must have been sweating under the stage lights. But it was worth it.
The programme of classical standards balanced with the New Zealand premiere of Bernstein's Serenade could have been dismissed as a sweetener to the busy concert season ahead. But most of the pieces were played with such affection and with such beautiful ensemble work that any threat of sounding hackneyed was quickly averted.
Concentrating on different aspects of the serenade - "something between a suite and symphony," says music director Donald Armstrong - this concert was truly elegant evening music.
Take the effortless rendition of Dvorak's E Major Serenade, a work that underlines the composer's total understanding of string writing. A viola-player himself, Dvorak knew what the string orchestra was capable of, and in this graceful score, lush melodies are combined with beautifully wrought counterpoint.
The strings provided a seamless account that contrasted quite strongly with the uneven performance of Mozart's Serenade in D.
As an opener to the concert, the K239 sounded decidedly groggy with the menuetto played too slowly, surrounded by a rather lifeless march and rondo.
Luckily this lacklustre performance was an isolated instance. Apart from the Dvorak, the group performed a poignant interpretation of Barber's Adagio for Strings.
A tear-jerker with an almost obsessive working of a single melodic idea, the Adagio is nonetheless an exquisite threnody, and it was given the attention it deserved by conductor Marc Decio Taddei and strings alike.
Bernstein's astringent and energetic Serenade could not have been more diametrically opposed to the Barber.
Canadian violinist Scott St John demonstrated an exemplary technique in the opening phrases for solo violin which soared above and then joined in strict counterpoint with the rest of the strings.
Two encores followed - St John revelled in Sarasate's extrovert Zigeunerweisen - and the concert ended with a light-hearted Pizzicato Polka.
Taut strings cool muggy occasion
NZ Chamber Orchestra Holy Trinity Cathedral Review: Tara Werner
Summer concerts have their drawbacks: the atmosphere in Holy Trinity was humid and hot and the musicians must have been sweating under the stage lights. But it was worth it.
The programme of classical standards balanced with the New Zealand premiere of Bernstein's Serenade could have been dismissed as a sweetener to the busy concert season ahead. But most of the pieces were played with such affection and with such beautiful ensemble work that any threat of sounding hackneyed was quickly averted.
Concentrating on different aspects of the serenade - "something between a suite and symphony," says music director Donald Armstrong - this concert was truly elegant evening music.
Take the effortless rendition of Dvorak's E Major Serenade, a work that underlines the composer's total understanding of string writing. A viola-player himself, Dvorak knew what the string orchestra was capable of, and in this graceful score, lush melodies are combined with beautifully wrought counterpoint.
The strings provided a seamless account that contrasted quite strongly with the uneven performance of Mozart's Serenade in D.
As an opener to the concert, the K239 sounded decidedly groggy with the menuetto played too slowly, surrounded by a rather lifeless march and rondo.
Luckily this lacklustre performance was an isolated instance. Apart from the Dvorak, the group performed a poignant interpretation of Barber's Adagio for Strings.
A tear-jerker with an almost obsessive working of a single melodic idea, the Adagio is nonetheless an exquisite threnody, and it was given the attention it deserved by conductor Marc Decio Taddei and strings alike.
Bernstein's astringent and energetic Serenade could not have been more diametrically opposed to the Barber.
Canadian violinist Scott St John demonstrated an exemplary technique in the opening phrases for solo violin which soared above and then joined in strict counterpoint with the rest of the strings.
Two encores followed - St John revelled in Sarasate's extrovert Zigeunerweisen - and the concert ended with a light-hearted Pizzicato Polka.
<i>Performance:</i> NZ Chamber Orchestra
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