Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Firebird concert was a well-programmed colourfest, peaking with an electrifying Stravinsky ballet suite. Shiyeon Sung's baton was as incisive as a scalpel, from the stealthiest of introductions through to those breathtaking showpieces for the two main dancers, separated by chamber music finesse for the princesses.
What a coup it was to have Katy Woolley, principal horn with Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra, launch a thrilling finale.
First off, Salina Fisher's 2018 Tupaia illuminated the world of the Tahitian navigator with the sonic seasonings of an expert contemporary colourist. Dark Pacific waters rose in a beautifully gradated crescendo until release came in the lyrical dialogue of Alexandria Hoffman's alto flute and Robert Ashworth's viola, following a starburst of percussion.
Lili Boulanger's D'un matin de printemps and D'un soir triste worked well in tandem; the piquant dance of the first offset by the darker intimations of the second, dictated on the composer's deathbed, aged just 24.
