Review: Bay of Plenty Symphonia concert review

Bay of Plenty Symphonia concert conductor Justus Rozemond got crispness of attack from the Symphonia. Photo / File

Opinion

OPINION: Hanno Fairburn reviews the Bay of Plenty Symphonia concert

An ample and generous audience heard this string orchestra, with distinguished soloists, perform major imaginative concertos.

The basis was Vivaldi's celebrated, though over-familiar, 'Four Seasons'. and it was refreshing to hear this live with such a spirited performance.

Here it was combined with 'Four Seasons of Buenos Aires' by the Argentine Astor Piazzolla, best known for his Tangos.

This was an arrangement for strings which joined classical and tango forms and borrowed phrases from Vivaldi's work, while the programme alternated seasons from the two works, though written for opposite hemispheres.

Conductor Justus Rozemond had the measure of the disparate forms of the two works and got crispness of attack from the Symphonia.

The players rose nimbly to the technical demands of the music, catching seasonal flavours convincingly, such as the sounds of weather, animals and human activities.

As the violin soloist right through the programme, Andrew Beer bore the heavy load magnificently and his tonal polish and expressive playing were persuasive.

Another soloist, cellist Ashley Brown, had a fitting rhythmic vigour while Chalium Poppy's harpsichord gave a valuable underpinning.

Overall, there was exceptional enjoyment from this effervescent music and performances to match it.

What: Bay of Plenty Symphonia
Where: Rotorua Harvest Centre
When: Sunday