We do not hear enough Hindemith in our concert halls, and the German's Cello Concerto was the revelation of the evening.
Carrying us away on the briskest of offbeats, an invigorated full orchestra provided a brilliantly propulsive backdrop for soloist Johannes Moser.
The German-Canadian cellist was riveting, extraordinarily finessed in cadenza work and signing off phrases with a theatrical sweep of the bow.
Beseechingly lyrical in the slow movement, Moser was also an avid accomplice alongside the orchestra when it came to delivering the sardonic march of the Finale in just the right brazen colours.
Moser's encore was a Bach Sarabande, understated and thoughtful, with deliciously artful ornamentation.
After interval, we were powerless to resist the all-engulfing sweep of Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony.
Dworzynski did not allow its mighty first movement to lag, meaning that sighing phrases were edgier, and mysterious dances seemed to be lurking in theshadows.
An edge-of-the-seat, obsessive Scherzo prepared us for the eventual explosive Finale.
In between, Dworzynski allowed Prokofiev's ironic, angular lines to become more tender in the Adagio.
Soaring violins over a magical shift from F to E majors seemed to catch the hope and faith that kept spirits aloft during the soul-testing wartime years.
What: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
Where: Auckland Town Hall
When: Thursday
