An Evening in Vienna
On the evening of Saturday 10th May, I attended the concert of the North Downs Symphonia which I am ashamed to admit was a `first' for me! This is not due to a reluctance on my part but simply due to other functions coinciding. I am therefore grateful to Peter Maynard for asking me to write up this event as otherwise I would have missed out on a truly wonderful evening.
The conductor, Michael Hitchcock, commenced proceedings with a brief introduction describing Johann Strauss' `Overture Die Fledermaus' as a complicated plot, incorporating; champagne, mistaken identity, revenge and quite a lot of fun! Such a concoction certainly whetted our appetites and we were not disappointed. As Jonathan Maynard so eloquently wrote in the programme notes; "...this overture is a pot-pourri of tunes......and it is the famous waltz from the finale of Act 2 that dominates the proceedings". Everytime this delightful melody appeared, it was as if the orchestra could not be restrained any longer and we were off dancing the night away!
With the title `An Evening in Vienna', it was hardly surprising to see that Strauss rather dominated the programme. His Blue Danube Waltz was beautifully performed and the conductor skilfully held the orchestra together throughout the challenging fluctuations of tempo. Strauss' Emperor Waltz provided a contrast of mood with the predominance of the brass section, creating a suitably regal air along with the richness of the full orchestra playing the familiar waltz theme. This ended with a triumphant drum roll on the Timpani. Talking of drums leads me on to the Thunder and Lightning Polka, also written by Johann Strauss, where the percussionists, Simon Heydecker-Dent and Wendy Langridge excelled themselves with their combination of cymbols and huge Side Drum which evoked the most exciting storm and brought delight to the audience.
One of the highlights of the evening for me was the soloist, Andy Jakob, who, in the course of three movements of Mozart's Bassoon Concerto in B flat, made me view the bassoon in a completely new light! The speed in which he executed tricky scales and complicated rhythms was phenomenal as was the range in pitch, covering the expanse of three octaves! In the Cadenza section, where the performer has the chance to play unaccompanied and `show off ` a bit, Andy Jakob demonstrated that he was not only immensely talented but also had a sense of humour with passages that could easily have been accompanying a Laurel and Hardy sketch ! It was brilliant.
The concert ended with Schubert's Unfinished Symphony which opened with the haunting sound of the cellos and double Basses. This is a dramatic symphony with several methodic themes interwoven throughout and wonderful solos for the oboe and clarinet in the Andante con Moto.
The audience were very appreciative in their applause and several people that I spoke to said it was their best concert yet. Not having been to any others to compare, I am unable to validate such comments but I was immensely impressed with the high standard and it was lovely to spot several local people in the orchestra.
Finally, I noted in the programme that this particular concert was dedicated to the memory of the late Peter Warner, who had wanted to perform a selection of Viennese pieces with the North Downs Symphonia at some stage. I am absolutely sure that Peter would have been so proud of you all.
Jan Akhtar.