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“a performance of kaleidoscopic nature”~ Alastair Elliott ~ read full review
11 July 2010
Musical treat for winery audience
Tauranga music-lovers were treated to the rather unlikely duo of piano and saxophone in yet another fulfilling concert of Tauranga Musica’s 2010 series. Although a somewhat unorthodox pairing of instruments, Niels Bijl on saxophone and his acclaimed accompanist, Diedre Irons on piano performed extremely admirably to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience at the Mills Reef winery last night.
The concert was a feast of European music and included works by Russian, German, Austrian, French and Spanish composers.
The German repertoire was perhaps too heavy for the Belgian-designed instrument. A failure to bring the instrument to cadences of satisfactory strength made for a disappointing ending to the Schubert A Minor Sonata which dominated the first half of the programme.
Indeed the third, and final, movement appeared to leave the musician gasping for a much-needed breath in places and did much to interfere and disrupt the broad, sweeping Schubertian melodies. It is important to note that this work was never originally intended to be performed by wind instruments, but rather by strings.
If the German repertoire was perhaps too much for the instrument then the suitability of the early 20th century French repertoire on the programme cannot be understated. Here the instrument seemed perfectly matched to the works of Ravel, Faure, and Massenet.
This is most likely a result of the saxophone coming into prominence as an instrument during the Belle Époque. Both soloist and accompanist performed with incredible passion and are to be commended for their great sensitivity.
It is perhaps unfortunate, yet nevertheless necessary, to remind Tauranga’s concert-going public to excuse themselves from the concert hall when suffering from an uncontrollable coughing spell or even find themselves overcome with fatigue. It was a great challenge at several times throughout the course of the evening to hear the soloists for the sounds of snoring and coughing.
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