Concertgoers relish orchestra’s return
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hamish McKeich, with Eliza Bloom (soprano), Simon O’Neill (tenor), Maisey Rika (vocals), Horomona Horo (taonga puoro), Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir
Michael Fowler Centre, June 26 Reviewed by John Button
Since moving down to alert level 1, we have had rugby, netball and basketball with crowds, and Orchestra Wellington has played before audiences in St Andrew’s church in Wellington.
And now the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) has given its first concert for months before a large, enthusiastic, free-entry audience.
The programme was, quite understandably, a mixture of popular favourites, and audience-friendly material. Everybody lapped it up.
The orchestra was, it must be admitted, a bit rusty – not in any way bad playing, just lacking the verve, polish and elegance we have become used to – but this was the musicians’ first time together since February.
However, the second half of the concert finished with the orchestra sounding more like its normal self, with a richly expressive performance of the suite from Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier.
The opening piece, Gareth Farr’s From The Depths Sound The Great Sea Gongs ,is a very early work – and it sounds it – but the infectious percussion captured the audience, and the popular Carmen items and John Psathas’ catchy Tarantismo maintained the celebratory mood.
But the excerpts from La Boheme, particularly those in the second half, really caught the ear.
Simon O’Neill is a top international tenor, and it showed in his excerpt from Otello, but it was a singer I had not heard before that jolted me upright. Eliza Bloom has a voice of startling quality that, when she faced the audience, mastered the Michael Fowler Centre’s difficult acoustic in impressive fashion. Surely she will go far.
Singer Maisey Rika, with microphone, sang two entirely pleasant songs quite beautifully, with taonga puoro player Horomona Horo and the orchestra and choir – whose members had been spectators until the end – joining everybody in singing Pokarekare ana.