No joy
Garth Wilshere
Odes to Joy, New Zealand Symphony, Orchestra, Conductor – Pietari Inkinen, Michael Fowler Centre, September 22. Reviewed by Garth Wilshere.
THERE was a lot of anticipation riding on this concert with four young New Zealand soloists, massed choirs, the NZSO, a new Gareth Farr work, and Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 9. The performances didn’t live up to expectation.
Farr’s occasional piece, setting Witi Ihimaera’s words, Kaitiaki was cinematic in scope with a Hollywood-inspired sweep to it. It was exhilarating but less joyful in tone than I expected and didn’t have quite the pulse we expect from Farr,
Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9 with its magnificent setting of Schiller’s Ode To Joy in the final movement is an ecstatic work, much loved by audiences.
Conductor Pietari Inkinen’s approach was detached and episodic without the cohesion and ensemble momentum to drive it. Tempi were often extreme. The slow movement was soggy and too slow, the faster passages in the finale white-hot but too fast to allow the vocal lines of soloists and choirs to soar. As is often the case with Inkinen detail was revealed where here I would have preferred rich homogeneity.
Soprano Madeleine Pierard and mezzo Sarah Castle were sweet-voiced and blended beautifully together. Both Bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu, with an occasional intonation problem, and tenor Simon O’Neill, were strong but rather hard edged so the lyrical quality was lost. Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir with the Orpheus Choir were clear and accurate and frequently thrilling in tone.
‘The audience loved it but I think because of the works rather than the performances they heard.
THERE was a lot of anticipation riding on this concert with four young New Zealand soloists, massed choirs, the NZSO, a new Gareth Farr work, and Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 9. The performances didn’t live up to expectation.
Farr’s occasional piece, setting Witi Ihimaera’s words, Kaitiaki was cinematic in scope with a Hollywood-inspired sweep to it. It was exhilarating but less joyful in tone than I expected and didn’t have quite the pulse we expect from Farr,
Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9 with its magnificent setting of Schiller’s Ode To Joy in the final movement is an ecstatic work, much loved by audiences.
Conductor Pietari Inkinen’s approach was detached and episodic without the cohesion and ensemble momentum to drive it. Tempi were often extreme. The slow movement was soggy and too slow, the faster passages in the finale white-hot but too fast to allow the vocal lines of soloists and choirs to soar. As is often the case with Inkinen detail was revealed where here I would have preferred rich homogeneity.
Soprano Madeleine Pierard and mezzo Sarah Castle were sweet-voiced and blended beautifully together. Both Bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu, with an occasional intonation problem, and tenor Simon O’Neill, were strong but rather hard edged so the lyrical quality was lost. Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir with the Orpheus Choir were clear and accurate and frequently thrilling in tone.
‘The audience loved it but I think because of the works rather than the performances they heard.
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