John Psathas’ Seikilos set off the evening’s trajectory from life to death, a brilliantly scored eleven minutes expressing the composer’s avowed philosophy of livinglife while you can.
An opening percussion blitzkrieg swept all before it although Psathas’ signature rhythmic subtleties soon emerged. His affirmative vision was memorably caught in quieter interludes, especially a sprightly woodwind dance with Aegean overtones.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir performing the Mozart Requiem at teh Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington. Photo / Supplied
Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration portrays a dying man, reflecting on the past as he moves to his final reckoning.
This sumptuous late romantic score was rendered with true orchestral virtuosity, right through to a spine-tingling transfiguration. It also showed the impressive mettle of conductor Gemma New. Occasionally content simply to give out a strong four-in-a-bar beat, she also bursts out dramatically towards players who need to break free from the saturated palette, her sweeping arms acknowledging the music’s underlying narrative.
Mozart’s Requiem was the final instalment in this mortal journey. The dying Mozart gloomily felt that he might be writing this final commission for himself and, although he didn’t finish it, its completion by pupil Sussmayr, for all its inconsistencies, is a powerful and poignant document.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir performing Mozart Requiem at the Auckland Town Hall. Photo / Supplied
Not one to take death lying down, New injected unflinching momentum into the opening “Kyrie,” with Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir in vigorous fugue. The “Dies Irae” and “Rex Tremendae” blazed with energy bordering on defiance, while a beautifully sprung “Lachrymosa” was a bower of sighs.
The mellow sonorities of the NZSO’s two basset-horns added a special serenity to the four soloists’ “Recordare.”
Anna Leese was in triumphant form, with a forceful cut to her soprano that never neglected the tenderest of Mozartian phrasing.
Rhonda Browne was a strong presence alongside her, with rich alto-like tone.
Baritone Robert Tucker’s voice blended well with the effortlessly mellifluous tenor of Amitai Pati.
