Sunday 10th October 2010
Review of this concert by Philip Worth
The renovation of the DSO’s ‘home base’ at Centenary Hall has compelled the orchestra to go walkabout recently, but so far within Berkhamsted – a happy outcome considering the wealth of distinguished and beautiful buildings the town possesses. The re-vamped Old Town Hall, is a case in point; as also is St. Peter’s Church, the lovely venue of the May concert. And so with Deans’ Court, on the Berkhamsted School campus which could hardly be bettered for visual elegance. This fine space hosted the event on Sunday October 10th when we enjoyed the usual broadly based programme of classical favourites, kicking off with Rossini’s Matinees Musicales. This was one of the composer’s ‘sins of old age’, when, in the last years of his life, he was enjoying a kind of Indian Summer of composition, entertaining his friends in his Paris salon with occasional pieces of easy melody and charm. We have Benjamin Britten to thank for his skilful orchestration of this happy music.
For the main item we enjoyed a stunning performance of Max Bruch’s first violin concerto by eighteen-year-old Chendi Zhang, yet another product of our local Purcell School of Music, an institution which just goes on turning out young artists of outstanding talent (e.g. Lara Omeroglu, BBC Young Musician of the Year for 2010). Chendi played with the mix of fire and melting tenderness which this masterpiece calls for. But the support of the orchestra was impressive too, especially in the climactic development section of the first movement – music both virile and majestic.
‘Who loves not Wine, Women and Song/ Remains a Fool his Whole Life Long’. It was this ancient Austrian adage which handed Johann Strauss the Younger the title of this sunny piece, composed on commission by the Vienna Men’s Choral Association for their ‘Fools’ Evening’ in 1869. This was probably a boyzown affair, so the gentlemen would have been celebrating the ladiesin absentia – no stress on ‘women’ but plenty on ‘wine’ and ‘song’ (you can bet of the more raucous kind!) Anyway, a good curtain raiser for the second half of our concert.
To follow Strauss the Waltz King by Antonin Dvorak could be said to be following the extrovert with the introvert. The Czech master, who was heavily married with six surviving children, was not into ‘wine, women and song’ but much more deeply influenced by the scenic beauty and culture of his native Bohemia. These aspects breathe through the Slavonic Dances, beautiful, tuneful pieces in which the composer could indulge his unique gift of melodic invention. No wonder they induced the giant Brahms to become his ardent supporter and lifelong friend.
The renovation of the DSO’s ‘home base’ at Centenary Hall has compelled the orchestra to go walkabout recently, but so far within Berkhamsted – a happy outcome considering the wealth of distinguished and beautiful buildings the town possesses. The re-vamped Old Town Hall, is a case in point; as also is St. Peter’s Church, the lovely venue of the May concert. And so with Deans’ Court, on the Berkhamsted School campus which could hardly be bettered for visual elegance. This fine space hosted the event on Sunday October 10th when we enjoyed the usual broadly based programme of classical favourites, kicking off with Rossini’s Matinees Musicales. This was one of the composer’s ‘sins of old age’, when, in the last years of his life, he was enjoying a kind of Indian Summer of composition, entertaining his friends in his Paris salon with occasional pieces of easy melody and charm. We have Benjamin Britten to thank for his skilful orchestration of this happy music.
For the main item we enjoyed a stunning performance of Max Bruch’s first violin concerto by eighteen-year-old Chendi Zhang, yet another product of our local Purcell School of Music, an institution which just goes on turning out young artists of outstanding talent (e.g. Lara Omeroglu, BBC Young Musician of the Year for 2010). Chendi played with the mix of fire and melting tenderness which this masterpiece calls for. But the support of the orchestra was impressive too, especially in the climactic development section of the first movement – music both virile and majestic.
‘Who loves not Wine, Women and Song/ Remains a Fool his Whole Life Long’. It was this ancient Austrian adage which handed Johann Strauss the Younger the title of this sunny piece, composed on commission by the Vienna Men’s Choral Association for their ‘Fools’ Evening’ in 1869. This was probably a boyzown affair, so the gentlemen would have been celebrating the ladiesin absentia – no stress on ‘women’ but plenty on ‘wine’ and ‘song’ (you can bet of the more raucous kind!) Anyway, a good curtain raiser for the second half of our concert.
To follow Strauss the Waltz King by Antonin Dvorak could be said to be following the extrovert with the introvert. The Czech master, who was heavily married with six surviving children, was not into ‘wine, women and song’ but much more deeply influenced by the scenic beauty and culture of his native Bohemia. These aspects breathe through the Slavonic Dances, beautiful, tuneful pieces in which the composer could indulge his unique gift of melodic invention. No wonder they induced the giant Brahms to become his ardent supporter and lifelong friend.