(Visiting
Israeli-American conductor Daniel Boico)
Programme of extreme contrasts produces a highly
enjoyable evening. (Review by Michael Green)
A programme of extreme contrasts was
presented by the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra in the latest concert of its winter
season in the Durban City Hall.
It is hard to
think of two more different composers than Johannes Brahms and George Gershwin,
the old world and the new. But the combination of a Gershwin concerto and a
Brahms symphony worked remarkably well in this concert, and the result was a
highly enjoyable evening.
The programme
opened with an unusual item involving only 14 players, eleven brass and three
percussion. This was the Fanfare for the
Common Man by the twentieth century American composer Aaron Copland.
Written in a spirit of patriotism during the Second World War, it is a
resounding piece that runs for no more than about three minutes. The players
excelled, as did the visiting Israeli-American conductor Daniel Boico.
Even better was
Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, with Nina Schumann as soloist. This South
African pianist is a relatively young person but she has an imposing musical
record, more than 140 concerto performances with orchestras here and in Europe
and America, and 40 concertos in her repertory.
The Gershwin
concerto is a brilliant work based on jazz; it has strong rhythms, with
off-beat accents and sharp harmonies, but it also has many lyrical passages.
Nina Schumann gave an outstanding performance in the challenging piano part,
and Daniel Boico conducted with great vigour, communicating his enthusiasm to
the players. Prolonged applause at the end signified the happiness of the
audience, and the players themselves seemed to derive much pleasure from the
concerto.
Brahms’s Symphony
No. 2 in D major is the most genial and serene of his four symphonies, and
Daniel Boico gave it a loving and warm interpretation. The work is full of
beautiful melodies, and the exciting climax at the end carried the audience
away, judging by the storm of applause that followed. - Michael Green
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