Under the outstanding
direction of conductor Yasuo Shinosake, the orchestra gave a wonderful
performance of this symphony. The ecstatic audience responded with a standing
ovation. (Review by Barbara Trofimczyk)
The second Symphony Concert of the KZNPO Winter Season took place in the Playhouse Opera Theatre on June 13, 2024.
Conductor: Yasua
Shinozaki
Soloist: Bronwen
Forbay – Soprano
Programme:
Bizet-Carmen Suite No1 Dance Boheme from Suite no 2
Faure- Pavane op 50 - Cilea-Ecco RespiroAppena
Gounod-Overture to Romeo
and Juliette, and Aria Juliette’s Waltz
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony Number 3 “Polish”
It was a pleasure to welcome ‘home’ Durban-born soprano,
Bronwen Forbay to perform with the KZNPO on Thursday evening in the second
concert of the winter season.
She has a distinguished international career in opera, as a recitalist, an educationalist, and much else, and is, notably, the first South African to earn a DMA in voice performance.
She delighted the audience with her interpretation of arias from the French operatic literature, as well as her vivacious performance of the famous coloratura aria from Fledermaus which brought the audience to their feet!
Appropriately, the orchestral items for this part of the concert focused mainly on romantic French opera. Two of these stood out for exceptional performance: Bizet’s Carmen Suite, superbly orchestrated and full of the opera’s wonderful dramatic and musical moments, a perfect showcase for the orchestra, and, Faure’s hauntingly beautiful Pavane with its unusually low-pitched flute theme.
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 3 provided a marked contrast to the all-French programme of the first half of the concert. Scored for a full contingency of woodwinds, brass, timpani and strings, there is much musical interest in all the movements. Textures vary from interesting imitative interplay between the various instrumental groups, to energetic homophonic march-like tutti passages, waltzes reminiscent of ballet, and elements of Russian folk music.
In some respects, this symphony reflects aspects of the classical symphony, mainly formal, but much of the melodic content, it’s unusual five-movement structure and especially the deeply expressive ‘Andante’, one of the highlights of the work, in some ways anticipate the later big romantic symphonic works.
Tickets available at Quicket.
For more information, click on the KZNPO advert to the top right of this page. The next two concerts take place on June 20 and 27, 2024. – Barbara Trofimczyk
Posts
