…The broadly felt
opinion of the audiences was that these were highly gratifying evenings in the
company of musicians who deserve to be supported into the future. (Review by
David Smith)
With symphonic programmes telescoped by financial constraints, every venture by the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra carries an increased weight of importance and expectation. Such was the feeling running through last week’s Spring Season closer which took place in The Playhouse Opera on November 13, 2025.
The charming Serenade for strings by Edward Elgar opened the programme, and proved the least satisfying of the offerings. Sometimes admirably delivered without a conductor, it requires not only sensitive chamber-style interaction, which arguably was in evidence, but also a general lightness of touch. It felt as if the conductor, Michael Repper, in his very measured speeds, was reaching for something in the music that was not there: a profundity, perhaps, or some Elgarian secret.
The presence and playing of Sandra Lied Haga, the soloist for Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D major, seemed to galvanise the ensemble, which gathered around her like a family, with Repper as the young uncle full of inspirations.
Suddenly, behind the gorgeous sound of her instrument and the poised articulation of her bow-strokes, all the voices gelled, and the subtlety of the technical writing that ranged through the compass of the cello but lodged especially in high ‘thumb-position’ passages was consistently noticeable. Within this musical world of graceful and polished ideas laced with moments of symphonic traction, Ms Haga paid out the winding thread of the concerto with a bold address and a refreshing lack of affectation. There was no holding of breath for the tuneful cadenzas, which flowed out of and back into the fabric of the piece with a completely secure mastery.
Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 1 was the culmination of his ‘apprentice’ years which occupied his early teens. It brought to a close a spate of ‘string symphonies’ that splendidly reflected the influence of his teacher, the redoubtable Carl Zelter and - via him – of J S Bach, in the context of the Mozartean and Beethovenian ascendancy. Rather than whistleable tunes, it trades in fields of orchestral energy that are highly satisfying.
Here, Mr Repper was like an electrical source pouring current into the ensemble. This encompassed both the telling details and the broad style of a prodigiously talented fifteen-year-old’s claim to fame. The string foundation responded to his convinced direction with some superheated playing in the outer movements, and genuine tenderness and earnestness in contrast. Equally positive were the glowing results elicited from the woodwind group that achieved some of the finest tuning and precision that we have heard from them in a long time. The efforts invested in rehearsing this flower of early Romanticism paid off handsomely.
It is all too easy to direct attention to the musical ‘leaders’ and to applaud their endeavours. In looking back over the four concerts of the early-plus-mid-spring season, the sterling work of conductors and soloists has certainly warranted our gratefulness and kudos. Yet, they elevate, or obscure, the beauty of the music largely by their partnership with the orchestral team. In this, we have been unusually lucky; the broadly felt opinion of the audiences was that these were highly gratifying evenings in the company of musicians who deserve to be supported into the future. - David Smith
KZN Philharmonic Subscribers: Purchase your Season Tickets
for the 2026 Summer Symphony Season before November 30, 2025, and qualify for a
free ticket to the Voices of Home concert
on Saturday December 13 at 15h00 in the Playhouse Opera Theatre.
The KZNPO Summer Season Concerts will take place on March 5
and 12, 2026, at 19h00 in the Playhouse Opera. Tickets available nearer the
time at Webtickets.
To link direct to the KZNPO website, click on their advert at the top right-hand side of this article.
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