Shiyeon Sung leads Auckland Philharmonia in standout Tchaikovsky performance - William Dart

Shiyeon Sung leads Auckland Philharmonia in a commanding Tchaikovsky rendition. Photo / Adrian Malloch

• Auckland Philharmonia’s concert featured 18-year-old Chloe Chua in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, impressing with her virtuosity.
• The programme included Haydn’s Symphony no 93 and Stravinsky’s Divertimento, showcasing playful and refined performances.
• Chua’s encore of “Amazing Grace” added a delightful finish to the evening’s music.

Programming a concert around one of the most popular of all violin concertos doubtlessly drew a full house for Auckland Philharmonia’s Tchaikovsky’s Violin.

A ploy fully justified when 18-year-old soloist Chloe Chua so effortlessly revealed the form which won her the prestigious Menuhin Competition at the age of 11.

A crisp orchestral introduction, under the impeccable baton of Shiyeon Sung, ushered in Tchaikovsky’s dramatic first movement, with Chua as a fearless sparring partner, her cadenza slipping from molten fire to swooning languor at the turn of a bow.

Early on, we were captivated by the fragile but telling lyricism of her very first entrance; within minutes, we were powerless to resist the thrilling orchestral surges around her.

Tchaikovsky’s song-like Adante was exquisite, Chua in symbiotic blend with the orchestra’s woodwind; the high-powered finale, too, with maestra Sung at the helm, allowed moments of spellbinding tenderness.

Chloe Chua, 18, captivates with virtuosity in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Photo / Auckland Philharmonia

Chua’s encore was a delight: “Amazing Grace” spun from bluesy wistfulness to virtuoso hoe-down.

All this was particularly welcome after the evening’s overture – the exceedingly dull Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna by Franz von Suppe, lightweight Viennese fare, rescued by Ashley Brown’s elegant solo cello.

After interval, the emphasis was on more stylish humour.

Haydn’s Symphony no 93 is a charming specimen of this composer’s bracing and genial wit. With a few cheeky arpeggios in the first movement, the woodwind stepped up for an Allegro peppered with playful echoes and diversions.

Scaled down orchestral forces balanced earthy vigour with classical refinement, the slow movement gracefully introduced by string quartet. A striding minuet and runaway finale pursued an infectious mood of irrepressible jollity.

The Divertimento from Stravinsky’s ballet The Fairy’s Kiss shares much of Haydn’s bonhomie and, with its many quotations from Tchaikovsky, it was an extremely thoughtful complement to a much-enjoyed concerto.

Here we were treated to the precision and finesse of the best chamber music, as the musicians negotiated Stravinsky’s swerving rhythms and shifting textures, their palpable pleasure in playing the score reflecting the composer’s joy in paying tribute to one of his musical heroes.