Mixed night of music making
Garth Wilshere
Vector Wellington Orchestra, “Launching Mozart”
Soloist: Diedre Irons (piano) and The Cantoris Choir
Conductor – Marc Taddei
Wellington Town Hall, April 16
Reviewed by Garth Wilshere
THE highlight of the Vector Wellington Orchestra’s first subscription concert of the year was undoubtedly Borodin’s Symphony No. 2.
Conductor Marc Taddei had indicated that it was a personal favourite and he gave it a loving reading, conducting from memory. It is identifiably a “Russian” work and in style suited Taddei. It is bold and noisy with strong brass writing. There were moments of subtlety also caught by the players, although the strings were a bit thin without the richness and lustre I would have liked. The winds played well. I was not so happy with the other items.
Diedre Irons is fine, muscular pianist who I would not normally consider a Mozart stylist and so it proved. Her performance was not without blemish and was missing a sparkling lightness in the passage work. The performance didn’t smile and the orchestra under Taddei was not especially stylish or Mozartian to my ears.
Debussy’s Nocturnes which opened the evening is very difficult for players and didn’t always capture the right atmosphere and tonal world. The delicate filigree and shimmering ethereal gossamer texture was nearly there in Nuages, and the more boisterous, celebratory Fêtes was nicely done, but Sirènes was disappointing.
The wordless female chorus from the Cantoris Choir had tuning issues. Their sound tended flat and dull and did not have the alluring glow of sirens of antiquity luring sailors to their death, by their glorious singing.
So for me a mixed night of music-making.
Soloist: Diedre Irons (piano) and The Cantoris Choir
Conductor – Marc Taddei
Wellington Town Hall, April 16
Reviewed by Garth Wilshere
THE highlight of the Vector Wellington Orchestra’s first subscription concert of the year was undoubtedly Borodin’s Symphony No. 2.
Conductor Marc Taddei had indicated that it was a personal favourite and he gave it a loving reading, conducting from memory. It is identifiably a “Russian” work and in style suited Taddei. It is bold and noisy with strong brass writing. There were moments of subtlety also caught by the players, although the strings were a bit thin without the richness and lustre I would have liked. The winds played well. I was not so happy with the other items.
Diedre Irons is fine, muscular pianist who I would not normally consider a Mozart stylist and so it proved. Her performance was not without blemish and was missing a sparkling lightness in the passage work. The performance didn’t smile and the orchestra under Taddei was not especially stylish or Mozartian to my ears.
Debussy’s Nocturnes which opened the evening is very difficult for players and didn’t always capture the right atmosphere and tonal world. The delicate filigree and shimmering ethereal gossamer texture was nearly there in Nuages, and the more boisterous, celebratory Fêtes was nicely done, but Sirènes was disappointing.
The wordless female chorus from the Cantoris Choir had tuning issues. Their sound tended flat and dull and did not have the alluring glow of sirens of antiquity luring sailors to their death, by their glorious singing.
So for me a mixed night of music-making.
Have Your Say
0 Comments
No comments.