Technically wonderful performance
A SMALLERTHANUSUAL audience thoroughly enjoyed a technically wonderful performance and a carefully constructed cohesive programme by the NZSO under conductor Edo de Waart at the Dunedin Town Hall on Friday night.
Tchaikovsky is probably overdue for a revisionist interpretation, but his 5th Symphony, his penultimate, though not trivial in grandeur, might not be the best vehicle.
The first movement, ‘‘Andante — Allegro con anima’’, is indeed of two halves; the first detached and foreboding, the second replete with tumultuous surges reminiscent of Bruchner.
The second movement, ‘‘Andante Cantabile’’, presented a wonderful expose of the melodic capacities of the French horn.
The third movement, ‘‘Valse; Allegro moderato’’, is most alluring with stunning sequences of presto twirls.
The ‘‘Finale’’ has wonderful undercurrents of sinister dark lines in cellos and double basses.
However, the whole work remains curiously unsatisfying.
Not as lush as RimskyKorsakov, not as memorable as Borodin or Mussorgsky.
Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 2 in G minor, Op 63 is a hard act to follow.
Violinist VesaMatti Leppanen, overly dependent on his score, did not present the work with the flamboyance it warrants.
Not everyone is a rock star.
However, Prokofiev’s provocative harmonies, lyric vibrancy and subversive energy were well wrought and fully captured the imagination. Leppanen’s ‘‘Andante assai’’ was inspirational.
Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by
Carl Maria von Weber opened the evening with energy, wit and intelligible stretching of conventional and occasionally astringent harmonies.
The first movement, ‘‘Allegro’’, is notable for its heavyfooted folkish lines, the theme of the second, ‘‘Turandot: Scherzo’’, starts with simple tonality which slides chromatically downwards, shimmering and sinister, followed by quixotic jazz slurs.
Tuned timpani render the theme lugubrious.
The third graceful groundswell highlights an ethereal flute solo.
The final ‘‘Marsch’’ is triumphant and joyful.