This was one of Edo de Waart's "look back at the basic classics" concerts and it attracted a large house, including many newcomers judging by the clapping between movements.
And they got real value for money. The Beethoven Violin Concerto is a marvellous work, its genial optimism belying the tension surrounding Vienna, with Napoleon's armies lurking during its composition. But Beethoven does give clues to this during the first movement - the longest concerto first movement of them all - in which the kettledrums are a restless, even militaristic, presence.
NZSO Music Director Edo de Waart. Stephen A'Court NZSO Music Director Edo de Waart. But that is completely downplayed here, but with the wonderful playing of violinist Hadelich completely catching the ear, this was not an an issue.
Some performances utilise those kettle drums in the cadenza - not here, but rather the cadenza by Joachim, dazzlingly played. And the wonderful playing continued through the lovely slow movement, into the jaunty finale. Only the slightly "soft" conducting, dutifully displayed by the orchestra, took a little away from the performance.
The encore - Paganini's 24th Caprice- gave us more dazzling violin playing.
The second half was even better. Here conductor de Waart was completely energised, delivering a compulsive performance of Brahms' Second Symphony. It is the most genial of the four, but it has its tough side as well, and drama aplenty, all of which was brought outwith playing of superb precision and weight.
And the character of each movement was superbly realised; whether it was the wonderful woodwind ensemble, the weighty strings, or the sublime horn playing of Samuel Jacobs, this was Brahms "writ large" , leaving the large audience well satisfied.
And they got real value for money. The Beethoven Violin Concerto is a marvellous work, its genial optimism belying the tension surrounding Vienna, with Napoleon's armies lurking during its composition. But Beethoven does give clues to this during the first movement - the longest concerto first movement of them all - in which the kettledrums are a restless, even militaristic, presence.
NZSO Music Director Edo de Waart.
Stephen A'Court
NZSO Music Director Edo de Waart.
But that is completely downplayed here, but with the wonderful playing of violinist Hadelich completely catching the ear, this was not an an issue.
Some performances utilise those kettle drums in the cadenza - not here, but rather the cadenza by Joachim, dazzlingly played. And the wonderful playing continued through the lovely slow movement, into the jaunty finale. Only the slightly "soft" conducting, dutifully displayed by the orchestra, took a little away from the performance.
The encore - Paganini's 24th Caprice- gave us more dazzling violin playing.
The second half was even better. Here conductor de Waart was completely energised, delivering a compulsive performance of Brahms' Second Symphony. It is the most genial of the four, but it has its tough side as well, and drama aplenty, all of which was brought outwith playing of superb precision and weight.
And the character of each movement was superbly realised; whether it was the wonderful woodwind ensemble, the weighty strings, or the sublime horn playing of Samuel Jacobs, this was Brahms "writ large" , leaving the large audience well satisfied.