Orchestral variety

Press, 8 September 1980, Page 4

Orchestral variety

i By

HEATH LEES

No-one can ' accuse the New' Zealand Symphony Orchestra of keeping to the same; - old repertoire. Saturday evening’s, concert at the Town HaJL consisted of a short, modern piece by the ; Israeli composer; f Mbrdecai Setter, Mozart’s' later D major piano concerto, and •‘' one of Tchaikovsky’s lesser- ?. known symphonies. The orchestra WaS * coh-

ducted by Uri. Segal whose ; clear mastery of the scores . was coupled with a colour-s-y ful, often flamboyant style; '•“Obviously a wizard with'dyj.Lnam'ic levels,. Mr Segal “'“.coaxed- the orchestra - into full-throated, . uninhibited fortissimo at the one eX-,-treme and an intense, sustained. whispering pianis- • simo at the other. • This latter aspect ’ was r. most discernible in the "Me-: ■ dotation” with which ; the “? programme -. began. Dis : .■fiftsawKS - colours ,of" the ..-orchestra. in

the outer sections, with! much prominence given .to! the; low registers -of the pellos and basses, y Though the work was striking in its way, ■ one wondered whether its .'lugubrious character suited, its position .as a curtainraiser. ; j

'■“The pianist, Pascal Roge,! was a' distinguished gtiest and' he ..brought a finely-l moulded ; sense of phrasing to the Mozart “Coronation” Cohcertoi His technique was flawless too, and though the interpretation: was perhaps overly Romantic,'- especially in the opening movement, the .'sheer beauty of. sound was enormously; appealing. The , orchestra was well in form there,? .’the?- sealed-down size providing an ideal partnership with the piano, and reflecting, the same attention; to expressive detail.-. - ; . ■ Tchaikovsky’s “Manfred” symphony is. rarelyheard, not necessarily because- it is a , “poor’Lwqrk but- because it is so overshadowed by the BBS

with themes and changes of mood . abounding, often straining the coherence of. a movement to breaking point; Biit.-. when given- a committed, full-blooded performance such as this one, it stands up astonishingly, well and makes for a rewarding experience. The second movement stood but in its delicacy of shading in an otherwise dramatic landscape. ; '

The members of . the orchestra .excelled themselves and here of course, the Romantic reading was totally appropriate, .with its emphasis on the gloomy woodwind colours; the skilful' “playing” of, rests -and; wide dynamic rarige that had already distinguished the earlier programme. * ' ' It; was amusing to note that the conductor’s ..platform was made more stable betwjeenj the' first and second movements -by the addition of a'couple'; of scores’ of the Mozart .concerto -under one corner: Tchaikovsky, “ who would no doubt.:have;;appreciated the cVmfihlism ' symoousra.. • ........