Orchestra Wellington: Colours

 

Orchestra Wellington’s concert titled “Colours” from their 2023 Intimate Voices season is a vibrant exploration of musical textures and emotions, featuring works by Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, and Gustav Mahler.

Each piece in this concert brings a unique palette of sounds from these three composers, who were pivotal figures in the transition from late Romanticism to early modernism in music.

 

 

 

The concert begins with Richard Strauss’ ‘Burleske’, a lively and challenging piece for piano and orchestra. Strauss composed the work in 1885 when he was just 21 years old. This piece is known for its playful and virtuosic dialogue between the piano and the orchestra, particularly the timpani. Tonight, we have the talented pianist Jian Liu bringing this youthful work to life. Jian Liu is a renowned pianist and educator, known for his dynamic performances and technical prowess. He has performed extensively across the globe and is a faculty member at the New Zealand School of Music.

Pianist Jian Liu performed a transcription of Richard Strauss' 'Morgen!' as an encore.

 

 

Arnold Schoenberg’s 'Five Pieces for Orchestra Op 16' from 1909 marked a significant departure from traditional tonality, paving the way for modernist movements in music.. The ‘Five Pieces’ were revolutionary at their premiere, showcasing Schoenberg’s innovative approach to orchestration and atonality. Each piece creates a unique soundscape, exploring a wide range of emotions and textures.

The movements are:

I: Premonitions
II: The Past
III: Summer Morning by a Lake: Chord-Colors
IV: Peripeteia (or reversal of fortune)
V: The Obbligato Recitative

 

Gustav Mahler composed ‘Das Lied von der Erde’ in 1908, just a year before Schoenberg’s ‘Five Pieces’. Mahler drew on ancient Chinese poetry translated into German reflecting on themes of nature, life, and mortality.

‘Das Lied von der Erde’ is structured as a series of six songs, each exploring different facets of human existence and the natural world. The first movement, ‘The Drinking Song of Earth’s Misery’, reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death, with the recurring refrain “Dark is life, dark is death.” 

‘The Lonely One in Autumn’ expresses a sense of melancholy and longing, as the singer laments the passing of beauty and the approach of winter. ‘Of Youth’ is a lighter, more playful movement, depicting a scene of youthful exuberance and the simple joys of life, set in a Chinese pavilion.

‘Of Beauty’ contrasts the beauty of young girls picking flowers with the vigor of young men riding horses, capturing a moment of youthful attraction and fleeting beauty. 

‘The Drunkard in Spring’ revels in the joys of spring and intoxication, using the imagery of a drunken man who finds solace in nature’s renewal.

Finally, ‘The Farewell’ is a profound meditation on parting and the eternal cycle of life and death, combining two poems and marked by a sense of resignation and acceptance.

Oliver Sewell is a distinguished tenor from New Zealand, known for his captivating performances and impressive vocal abilities. He won the Vincero Competition in Naples, Italy, in October 2022. Sewell is currently a member of the principal ensemble at Theater Bremen, where his roles have included Robert Wilson in “Dr. Atomic”, the title role in “Orpheus aux enfers”, and the title role in "La Clemenza di Tito".

In the summer of 2024, he joined Garsington Opera in the UK for the role of Edoardo in "Un giorno di Regno"1. Sewell has also performed extensively in New Zealand, including roles such as Don Ottavio in “Don Giovanni”, Alfredo in “La Traviata”, and Edgardo in "Lucia di Lammermoor".

Hadleigh Adams is a renowned baritone from New Zealand, celebrated for his dynamic stage presence and versatile vocal range. Born in Palmerston North, he completed his Bachelor of Music with first-class honors at the University of Auckland and later pursued a Master of Music at the New Zealand School of Music.

Adams has performed extensively across Australasia, Europe, and the United States. He has been praised for his roles in operas such as “Antony and Cleopatra” by John Adams, “Romeo et Juliette” by Gounod, and “Fellow Travelers” by Gregory Spears2. His concert repertoire includes works like Handel’s “Messiah”, Mozart’s “Requiem”, and Britten’s "War Requiem".

 

Recorded by RNZ Concert in Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre, 22 July, 2023

 

David Houston, producer and engineer

Sam Smaill, assistant engineer