Baroque N.Z.S.O.

Press, 25 July 1985, Page 4

Baroque N.Z.S.O.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Doron Salomon, at the Town Hall Auditorium, July 24, 8 p.m. Reviewed by Philip Norman. Last evening’s concert would not number among the most meaningful musical experiences I have had in recent times. With half its usual muster of instrumentalists, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra ploughed its way through a rather lack-lustre programme of Baroque concert! and lightweight period pieces salvaged from the early decades of this century. In fact, the only work that was of more than passing interest was Debussy’s “Danses Sacrees et Profanes.” This featured the sensitive and stylish work of Anna Christensen on harp; blended with well controlled

sounds from the string section. I am not one to shout the cause of authenticity in early music but Doron Salomon’s interpretation of the two Baroque works on the programme was a shade lush for my liking. The performance of Handel’s Concerto Grosso in G minor had moments of good spirit and precision playing, but the sound was altogether too rich and smooth in texture for complete stylistic satisfaction. Regrettably, in the performance of Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe, the rather large Baroque orchestra tended to overpower the soloists. This was a pity, for both Valerie Rigg (violin) and Ronald Webb (oboe) seemed in good control of the music. Where it could be heard, Ronald Webb’s clear, ex-

pressive oboe tone was especially appealing, particularly in the haunting melodic lines of the inner Adagio movement. Both the “Three Botticelli Pictures” by Respighi and the “Suite: The Comedians” by Kabalevsky are rather shallow works, filled with grand gestures, swirling colours, and driving rhythms. While the orchestra did not handle the asymmetric groupings of rhythm in either works particularly cleanly, the sound was generally healthy and bright. The Respighi work carried, in its inner movement, the bonus of highlighting the work of Andrew Malcolm on oboe and Colin Hemmingsen. One of the nicest moments of the concert was the evocative opening passage to this “Adoration of the Magi.”