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Creation is much admired by choristers and audiences alike, and there
was no doubt about the success of this performance. At the end, the
capacity audience was on its feet in a prolonged standing ovation.
This
was the first outing for new music director Jose Aparicio and the
future certainly looks rosy for the choir under his ebullient, precisely
musical, detailed and charismatic direction. All the performers
obviously loved working with him and gave him their all.
A product
of Haydn's mature years, Creation brings together a wealth of forward
looking instrumental and vocal expertise gathered after a lifetime of
music-making and composing for the noble Esterhazy family in Vienna.
There are some wonderful moments for the choir with many exciting
choruses providing splendid highlights - The Marvelous Work, Awake the
Harp, The Heavens are Telling, The Lord is Great, Achieved is the
Glorious Work, Sing the Lord, Ye Voices All - some with the extra
glitter of added solo voices.
The diction was excellent, pitch
secure, dynamic contrasts precise, chordal passages well balanced and
contrapuntal passages clearly defined; all the result of enthusiastic
careful rehearsal. Speeds were certainly up to tempo, perhaps
occasionally a little too fast for the lively acoustic of the building,
but never out of control.
First rate performances from the three
soloists complemented the choir perfectly, in stylish singing of real
sensitivity, dynamic awareness, artistic shaping in recitatives and
airs, with balance clearly maintained in the several ensemble numbers.
Ileana
Otto-Johansen shaped the melodies beautifully in the well-known With
Verdure Clad and On Mighty Pens and combined perfectly with Joseph
Christensen in the duo By Thee Will Bliss.
Oliver Sewell set the
scene perfectly in his expressive singing of the opening Now vanish
Before the Holy Beams and gave a finely crafted presentation later of In
Native Worth, while Joseph Christensen impressed with his dramatic
singing of Now Heaven in Fullest Glory Shone.
The 45-piece Hawke's
Bay Orchestra and Friends gave a fine account of the dramatic overture
and several other passages later, while providing strong support to the
choir and soloists, even if occasionally a little too loud, while
pianist Susan Melville impressed with her sensitive interpretation of
the recitative accompaniments. |
Photo by Warren Buckland from Hawke's Bay Today
Photo by Warren Buckland from Hawke's Bay Today
Photo by Warren Buckland from Hawke's Bay Today
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