A beautiful concert of Romantic symphonic music from the NZSO under Thomas Søndergård
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Adventurous, surprising, unorthodox, informal concert by the NZSO in a waterfront shed
By Lindis Taylor, 10/05/2019
Good Music in Sheds
The “Shed series” of concerts were a new enterprise for the NZSO last year, when there were three concerts of music that was a bit off the beaten track and in an atmosphere unfamiliar to traditional audiences, though essentially classical rather than popular or rock music; perhaps the word 'crossover' might here apply. Last year, it was suggested that they would appeal to audiences aged under... read more
Orchestra Wellington takes Vivaldi and Piazzolla to Upper Hutt with great success
By Lindis Taylor, 06/05/2019
This programme was presented in the Opera House, Wellington on Saturday 4 May. Even considering venues in the central city, there is probably no auditorium as well appointed as Expressions in Upper Hutt’s Arts and Entertainment Centre where I was very happy to catch them.
There were 22 musicians on the stage, perfectly accommodated both visually and acoustically. In the place of the usual concertmaster, Amalia Hall, was Martin Riseley... read more
Darth Vader, Storm Troopers, The Millenium Falcon… and the NZSO. Sounds unlikely? Don’t judge it until you’ve heard it.
By infinityX, 29/04/2019
What is The Empire Strikes Back?
The Empire Strikes Back is the second film in the original Star Wars trilogy. It continues the story of the conflict between the evil Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance/the good guys. Fun fact: it is the second highest grossing sequel of all time. The score was composed and conducted by John Williams and was played on the film soundtrack by the London Symphony Orchestra.
The NZSO... read more
Edo de Waart’s NZSO subscription concert full of charm and affection with Brahms, Elgar and Strauss
By Lindis Taylor, 13/04/2019
Two professional orchestral concerts on successive days looks more like the style of a significant European city, but here it was the chance to display one of the few remaining signs that Wellington is, or rather, used to be, the country’s cultural capital, a title that has really belonged to Auckland for the past 20 years or so.
Orchestra Wellington celebrated the sesquicentenary (150 years) of Berlioz’s death by programming... read more
Soloists steal the show with Mozart’s K.364 at Wellington Chamber Orchestra’s inspiring concert
By Steven Sedley, 07/04/2019
Being part of an orchestra of some 60 players is a wonderfully uplifting experience for an amateur or semi-professional musician. You get carried away with the flow of the music, you are part of a large team with a common purpose. You do your best, you put your heart and soul into the music. You don't set out to compete with the great symphony orchestras, you do it for... read more
Art-to-music realisations, a royal farewelling, and interplanetary evocations – all in an evening’s work for the NZSO
By Peter Mechen, 30/03/2019
Tonight’s concert began with a sobering reminder of the tragedy that had shaken the whole of the country just over a fortnight previously, audience and musicians alike standing for a minute’s silence in remembrance of the incident’s victims, conductor Edo de Waart eschewing his “maestro’s entrance” on this occasion, and accompanying his concertmaster, Vesa-Matti Leppänen onto the concert platform, to stand with the other performers. As this was the... read more
NZSO’s season-opening concert splendid, popular programme under Hamish McKeich
By Lindis Taylor, 27/02/2019
After nearly a fortnight touring this programme through seven towns throughout the country, the NZSO reached Wellington, where there was probably some expectation of highly polished performances. It was the first of the orchestra’s 16-concert, Podium Series. The surprise, to a certain extent, was that the orchestra not only seemed to have achieved a wonderful degree of clarity and flawlessness, but that it had lost no sense of spontaneity... read more
NZSO’s Telemann/Handel presentation at Wellington Cathedral – spectacle before music?
By Peter Mechen, 01/02/2019
This was one of those concerts better described by the word “occasion” – yes, there was music, yes there were musicians, and yes, the music was played; but at every step of the way the emphasis of the event’s publicity, presentation and performance seemed to be more on the “occasional” nature of the pieces and their sounds rather than their actual substance.
Historically, this wasn’t at all inappropriate considering the... read more
Wellington Chamber Orchestra with rewarding and interesting music from Britain and Armenia
By Rosemary Collier, 09/12/2018
It was tempting to describe this as a concert of unfamiliar twentieth-century music, however the symphony was composed and first performed in the 1880s.
An enthusiastic audience filled the church to hear this interesting programme, that began with the rather elusive, indefinite opening of the Finzi work. This had once been intended to be part of a symphony, but it never eventuated, and after many years, the work was completed... read more
Themocracy