It was more than a "Taste of Europe", but rather a sumptuous feast of musical excellence provided by the Symphonia for a near capacity audience in Baycourt Theatre last Sunday afternoon. The new musical director, Justus Rozemond,chose an artistically demanding programme and the orchestra excelled in its response.
Given thatthis was the debut of their new conductor the programme opened almost tentatively with Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture. This soon settled and there were some superb contributions from the cello, clarinet, and French horn sections.
There were many exceptional elements to this particular concert but the contribution of Martin Riseley as solo violinist was quite outstanding with his performance of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole This is really rather more a violin concerto than a symphony, but unquestionably the work has all the fire, "technique, and flamboyance," so typical of the music of Spain.
The fact that it was written for violinist virtuoso Sarasate is in itself a huge challenge. This challenge was more than met, and the audience's response between movements was sheer testimony to the combined brilliance of the performance.
Gabrielli's "Sonata Pian e Forte" gave a wonderful opportunity to experience the stereophonic effect the brass would have created in a Viennese cathedral in the sixteenth century, and was followed by the woodwind and French horns performing Richard Strauss's Serenade, with both items demonstrating the sheer quality of the wind section of this orchestra.
"Finlandia" by Sibelius and Ippolitov-Ivanov's "Caucasian Sketches" successfully concluded what was a hugely demanding programme and there is no doubt that under its new musical director the orchestra will continue to go from strength to strength. .
Bay of Plenty Symphonia, " A Taste of Europe ", Baycourt Theatre, Sunday 19th August
