May 15th, 2009 2:19 am
Here is the review in the Taranaki Daily News:
TARANAKI DAILY NEWS Monday, May 11, 2009
New Plymouth orchestra gives all with classical period excellence
Review By ALLAN PURDY
THE New Plymouth Orchestra gave its best concert ever on Saturday night at St Andrew’s Church. With Adam Jasinski’s meticulous direction and large amounts of concentration from the players, this talented group just keeps improving.
The programme of works from the late 19th century classical period could so easily have been just ordinary, but no, this was a sparkling performance from start to finish, considerably enhanced by the brilliance of two concerto soloists.
Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte overture is short, but challenging, with nimble repartee between the wind and strings who adopted a courageous approach to rapid semiquaver passages. Everyone revelled in the noble sounding tuttis.
Principal oboist Jo Henderson stepped up to give a brilliant performance in Haydn’s Oboe Concerto. Her amazing breath control and technical dexterity were evident from the opening flourish. Dynamic shaping of individual notes and long phrases made for pleasurable listening and the orchestra responded well to the dual roles of supportive ac-companiment and full, confident tuttis. This was a rare opportunity to enjoy the full gamut of oboe sound from throaty low, to honeyed middle, and silvery top notes. Sustained applause drew a solo snippet from Borodin’s Polovstian Dances by way of an “after- dinner mint”.
After the interval, orchestra president Susan Case awarded life memberships to Anne Bovett (principal timpanist) and Harry Brown for his sustained support over many years.
The second soloist was Auckland clarinetist Ashley Hopkins in Krommer’s Clarinet Concerto. Krommer’s music is overshadowed by his great contemporaries, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, but this was a delightful display of colourful playing, with crystal-clear articulation of virtuosic passages, treacly low tones and golden glowing top register. Again, the orchestra worked in excellent collaboration with the soloist. By way of “encore”, we heard that famous glissando opening to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
The major work to end the concert was “Drum Roll” Symphony No 103 by Haydn. This is demanding music for any orchestra, but with such concen¬trated attention to detail, tight rhythms, excellent intonation and superbly controlled dynamic contrasts, I had to remind myself that this is an amateur group of people with day jobs, who rehearse together only two hours a week.
New Plymouth is indeed fortunate to have its orchestra and Adam Jasinski to bring out such high standards of musical performance.