Specific skills were required from each
section of the orchestra, and under the direction of Daniel Boico, performances
were convincing and in style…. It was another
enjoyable concert by the KZNPO. (Review
by Barbara Trofimczyk)
The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra held its second concert of the Summer Symphony Season on March 9, 2023.
The programme featured Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll; White’s Violin Concert 0p 14 and Schumann’s ‘Rhenish’ Symphony No 3. The conductor was Daniel Boico and the solo violinist Rachel Lee Priday.
It is interesting that a combination of works exclusively from the “Romantic” era, can provide a symphonic programme as varied as we had this week!
The growth of the orchestra in the 19th century and the development of new compositional techniques, resulted in more creative freedom, and although all three works span just the latter half of the 19th century, they are very different in character and expression.
Specific skills were required from each section of the orchestra, and under the direction of Daniel Boico, performances were convincing and in style.
The delicate string scoring at the beginning of the Siegfried Idyll had an air of promise about it as the wind instruments gradually merged with the strings. Slow and rather long, Daniel Boico effectively intensified the pace slightly towards moments of climax. A lovely performance by the orchestra.
Well-known in his day as a violinist and composer of violin music, Jose White is no longer a familiar name, except perhaps for violinists who want to play his music. His Violin concerto has an abundance of soaring melodies that span the full range of the instrument, including passages of virtuoso figuration, providing the soloist with ample opportunity to excel, and Rachel Lee Priday most certainly excelled. She has a distinguished career as a violinist, and her performance of this concerto was both affectionate and beautiful.
Schumann’s ‘Rhenish’ is an expansive symphonic work with five movements. One could describe it as a virtuoso symphony with constant demands being made on all the players and the conductor. Generally speaking, it was a fine performance by the orchestra, except to say that, while the full brass section was stunning at moments of climax, brass and woodwinds were in some instances unnecessarily dominant.
Paul Boekkooi’s programme notes provided a good guide to the descriptive aspects of the work, which is helpful for full appreciation of this music.
It was another enjoyable concert by the KZNPO. - Barbara Trofimczyk
The Summer Symphony Concert season continues on March 16 and 23 in the Playhouse Opera. To link to the KZNPO website, click on the advert to the top right hand side of this article.
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