The May concert presented by St. Matthews Chamber Orchestra was dedicated to Huko Kobe, a double bass player who has been a stalwart member of the Orchestra since its inception forty years ago. He died five weeks ago and will be sadly missed.

The opening offering was “Remember Parihaka” by New Zealand composer Anthony Ritchie. While Composer-in-Residence at Dunedin, Ritchie became aware of the colonial aggression against peaceful Maoris who were occupying their ancestral lands at Parihaka in Taranaki. Many Maori taken prisoner in the late 1870s and 1880s were shipped to Dunedin where they were held in caves secured by iron doors at Andersons Bay . (These caves are there to this day). Ritchie was much moved by this disgraceful episode in New Zealand ’s history, and this orchestral composition was his way of expressing his feelings about the matter. It opens slowly and quietly like a gentle sunrise with no percussion, and evolves into an impassioned statement with the woodwind section introducing a chant-like theme based on a Maori song. The intensity grows with several melodic ideas presented by the string section over a growing relentless bass and percussion building to a frightening climax. The work then returns to a peaceful conclusion tinged with sadness perhaps reflecting the passive resistance adopted by the Maori leaders Te Whiti and Tohu. It is commendable that the Orchestra elects to introduce the work of talented New Zealand composers in this way. This work was first performed by the Dunedin Sinfonia in 1991.

Clearly the highlight of this concert for the audience was the spirited Robert Schumann Concert piece for a horn quartet. The work demands some virtuoso horn playing from the soloists, particularly Nicola Baker who played a descant horn and together with the other three, Emma Richards, Carl Wells and Simon Williams gave a brilliant reading of this exciting work. This particular performance was the first time it has been performed in the North Island, and it has only been previously heard once in New Zealand with a performance several years ago in Christchurch . The three movements of the work are contrasting. The opening has great impact. Two declamatorychords from the orchestra bring in the horn quartet fortissimo in a brisk lively movement that shows the contrast in tone between the horns playing in the high register with the more mellow tone of the instruments taking the lower register.

The slow lyrical Romanze of the second movement contrasted cleverly with the liveliness of the introductory movement and we were treated to some of Schumann’s inventive melodic beauty. Schumann is best know for the many songs he wrote during his life and was a master of melody and the lied. The final movement returned to a very lively pace with arpeggios featuring and some brilliant inter-action between the four solo horns and the orchestra with conductor David Sharp in fine form. His direction of the orchestra in the accompaniment of the horn quartet provided judicious support at all times and when the work came to it’s brilliant finish, the audience erupted in eager appreciation of the virtuosity that they had just experienced. The four horn soloists were recalled three times to acknowledge the prolonged applause. Incidentally there is an excellent example of this work on You Tube by a Spanish orchestra conducted by James Judd.

The large work to conclude the programme was the Beethoven “Eroica” 3rd Symphony. This work was originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, but when he crowned himself Emperor, a disgusted Beethoven struck out the dedication on the score with such vehemence that his pen tore through the parchment paper. This symphony is popularly regarded as being the transition between the Classical and Romantic music periods. In size and emotional depth this symphony is truly “heroic”. The first movement kicks off with two massive chords followed by the eight strong cello section introducing the first subject in legato style. This is developed and built upon with massive syncopated chords at the end of the exposition which is broken by a dissonant horn solo that introduces the recapitulation. A solemn funeral march follows with the double basses performing a simulation of drum rolls. This is followed by an excited Scherzo. The word scherzo actually means “Joke” and Beethoven’s treatment of this is light-hearted but by no means frivolous. It features the horn section playing a triumphant fanfare, and the strings and horns unite to conclude the movement with a determined fortissimo. The final movement seems to capture the all of the moods of the former three, and features pizzicato strings played in joyful and almost playful variations. Suddenly it changes to a solemn chorale with some of the most moving passages ever written by Beethoven. David Sharp guest conductor from Adelaide was able to coax some very fine ensemble playing from the whole orchestra, and they seemed to rise to the occasion under his precise and sensitive direction. The end result was an excellent performance of this iconic symphony.

It is fair to say that a number of organisations provide sponsorship for this worthy orchestra, and I acknowledge their generosity in this review – Kirk Burnand (KBB) Music; Pub Charity; ASB Community Trust; Coopers Creek Wines; Sky City Auckland Community Trust; Presentations Design & Print; The Auckland Printing Company and the Chisholm Whitney Family Trust. Performances of this standard reflect intense rehearsals which with a visiting conductor have to be squeezed into a few days. Auckland can be truly proud of St Matthews Chamber Orchestra which seems to go from strength to strength.