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“The Venetian Carnival concert last night was superb”~ Andrew Buchanan-Smart ~ read full review
“alive, vibrant and very much music making of the moment”~ Andrew Buchanan-Smart ~ read full review
“a concert of polish and obvious enjoyment”~ John Button ~ read full review
“Bravo, the Wallfisch Band and its associates for a splendid evening!”~ Peter Mechen ~ read full review
“The concerts are always far more than the sum of their parts – our work is done, and the fun begins!”~ Elizabeth Wallfisch ~ read full review
“The faces on stage reveal at once the highest concentration and almost unrestrained delight in playing”~ Tobias Böcker ~ read full review
16 June 2010
THIS was a Chamber Music New Zealand innovation and proved a most interesting concept.
The Wallfisch Band, Elizabeth Wallfisch; violin and director, Raquel Massadas: viola, Jaap ter Linden: cello and Albert-Jan Roelofs: harpsichord together with eight New Zealand instrumentalists over a week of intensive rehearsals, masterclasses and seminars, put together this fascinating programme.
Standing in a semi-circle, led by the glamorous (in sparkly black trousers) and charming Wallfisch, a delightfully natural speaker and fantastic violinist, we were taken into a Venetian Carnival of fine music.
The performance featured music by the well-loved and well-known Vivaldi, paired with the adventurous lesser-known virtuoso violinst-composer, Locatelli, (1695 –1764) from the next generation after Vivaldi (1678 – 1741).
While the core players were of course excellent, the mostly young local players were fitted superbly into the mix. This was a great initiative.
The concertos demonstrated the wonder of instrumental invention with theatrical sounds produced just from strings. Wonderful recognisable Vivaldi, with some truly breathtaking playing from Wallfisch in the marvellously atmospheric Locatelli, Concerto grosso ‘Il pianto d’Ariana’. This is an amazing piece. Here was playing of rare quality.
The audience response was rapturously warm and an encore of a repeat of one of the concerto movements sealed the occasion as one to remember.
