KEY POINTS:
The sell-out concerts of Vadim Repin's 2002 visit were not to be reprised, but Repin, soloist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the weekend, gave two dazzling displays of what you need to make the first rank of international violinists.
On Friday night, his Sibelius Concerto was a lustrous gem.
If there almost seemed a note of caution in the opening phrase, within seconds the music had flowered into the composer's special blend of the lyric and stoic.
The orchestra, under Finnish conductor Susanna Malkki, brought out the melancholies and passions of the Adagio and the inescapable drive of the Finale.
For some, Saturday's Beethoven Concerto might have seemed a little over-rigorous on the orchestral side, although Repin's insinuating lines were the perfect corrective to the determination of Malkki's interpretation.
So many joys were unleashed in the exhilarating Finale. All made the most of Beethoven's rustic tunes and runaway wit, while Repin's cadenza delivered accuracy with artistry. And Repin's encores were special.
On Friday, we had some Paganini Variations on The Carnival of Venice, with Repin making his violin all but talk, wail and chatter as the orchestral strings plucked away like a giant guitar.
The following night, Ysaye's Ballade thrilled in the hands of such an inspired advocate.
Malkki had the orchestra to herself in two works. Mahler's Fifth Symphony was painted in broad colours, reflected in the conductor's body movements as much in the sounds.
There was careful nuancing in the first movement, as well as moments of shattering power. The highlight was the second movement which, although not the tidiest of performances, was exciting and terrifying.
Saturday's Firebird offered Stravinsky's complete ballet score, so we could enjoy the Orientalisms of the Firebird's entreaties, the sparkling games of the princesses, and the ominous darkness after Kashchei's death. A brilliant array of colours was effortlessly laid out, as there had been the previous night with Lissa Meridan's this present brightness, the piece that carried off this year's Lilburn Prize.
Meridan explores the sensuality of sound with a clear, concentrated palette. Open fifths chime around glissandi sighings as a chant-like idea does its orchestral rounds. The composer, noted for her feyness, directs musicians to play secretly - but any secrets, however bewitching, are short-lived and smothered by tumultuous climaxes.
It was an engaging composition, but was I the only one feeling a little cheated? In 2003, all Lilburn entries were included in NZSO concerts.
While Concert FM's radio presentations have been generously and well-handled this year, the NZSO has missed an invaluable opportunity. Audiences, orchestra and, most of all, four other New Zealand composers are poorer for it.
