Dunedin Symphony Orchestra
Amalia Plays Mendelssohn
Dunedin Town Hall
Saturday, November 5
REVIEW BY BRENDA HARWOOD
A well-balanced programme, superbly performed, kept a large town hall audience spellbound during Saturday’s Dunedin Symphony Orchestra concert, featuring fabulous New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall.
Under the baton of James Judd, orchestra and soloist were nimble and responsive, bringing nuance and feeling to a series of beautiful, romantic works.
The concert began with the lush sounds of Scottish composer Hamish MacCunn’s concert overture The Land of the Mountain and the Flood, highlighting the work’s dramatic flourishes throughout.
In the highlight of the evening, violinist Hall joined the orchestra with a passionate, virtuosic performance of Mendelssohn’s beautiful, complex Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor.
Hall was a powerful stage presence, mastering the work’s many fast passages with aplomb and bringing the emotion to the fore, with the DSO giving sensitive and energetic support as required.
Thunderous applause drew her back with a stunning Bach Partita, showcasing once again her extraordinary skills.
The concert’s second half featured a wonderfully complementary work in Dvorak’s magnificent Symphony No. 8 in G Major.
Conductor and orchestra worked together in perfect harmony to bring this evocative, folk-themed work to sparkling life, with each section making the most of their opportunities to shine.
All in all, Saturday’s concert was a spectacular showcase of the romantic era. Bravo!
