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A packed Central Hall was entertained by the University of York Symphony Orchestra with the performance of pieces by Lutoslawski, Berg and Stravinski.
The concert had a slightly slow start with the delicate allegretto from Lutoslawski’s Little Suite. The distant notes of a piccolo were cautiously followed by the orchestra. Two movements later, however, the orchestra had left their carefulness behind and clearly started to enjoy themselves, reflecting itself in the liveliness of the sound.
After Lutoslawski’s small and elegant piece, the program took a more romantic turn with Alban Berg’s 'Severn Early Songs'. For this piece, the orchestra was joined by soprano Lynne Dawson. Although she performed the touching Lieder with a great feeling for the romantic character of the music, her lack of power and focus caused some problems. Mainly due to the terrible acoustics of Central Hall, the sound of her voice struggled to carry through the entire auditorium. To prevent the singing from disappearing completely in the fastness of the hall, the already gentle orchestra had to be even softer.
That the orchestra is at its best in more emphatic pieces, rather than soft ones, became really apparent in the absolute highlight of the program. After the break, the orchestra almost doubled in size for the performance of Stravinsky’s epic masterpiece, The Rite of Spring.
Although individually slightly insecure at times, the orchestra performed convincingly as a unit. They were spot on in the complicated rhythms which is quite an achievement for an ensemble of about a hundred musicians.
It was this impressive display that completely overshadowed the first half of the program and made the concert a great success.
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