Venetian Carnival with The Wallfisch Band, Chamber Music New Zealand, Wellington Town Hall, reviewed by Garth Wilshere.

THIS was a Chamber Music New Zealand innovation and proved a most interesting concept.
The Wallfisch Band, Elizabeth Wallfisch; violin and director, Raquel Massadas: viola, Jaap ter Linden: cello and Albert-Jan Roelofs: harpsichord together with eight New Zealand instrumentalists over a week of intensive rehearsals, masterclasses and seminars, put together this fascinating programme.
Standing in a semi-circle, led by the glamorous (in sparkly black trousers) and charming Wallfisch, a delightfully natural speaker and fantastic violinist, we were taken into a Venetian Carnival of fine music.
The performance featured music by the well-loved and well-known Vivaldi, paired with the adventurous lesser-known virtuoso violinst-composer, Locatelli, (1695 –1764) from the next generation after Vivaldi (1678 – 1741).
While the core players were of course excellent, the mostly young local players were fitted superbly into the mix. This was a great initiative.
The concertos demonstrated the wonder of instrumental invention with theatrical sounds produced just from strings.
Wonderful recognisable Vivaldi, with some truly breathtaking playing from Wallfisch in the marvellously atmospheric Locatelli, Concerto grosso ‘Il pianto d’Ariana’. This is an amazing piece. Here was playing of rare quality.
The audience response was rapturously warm and an encore of a repeat of one of the concerto movements sealed the occasion as one to remember.